LIBRARY 

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/INE 


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LAZARUS 


A  TALE  OF  THE 
WORLD'S  GREAT 
MIRACLE  , 


./ 

LUCAS   CLEEVE 


—    0 


"  Now  a  certain  man  was  sick,  named 
Lazarus,  of  Bethany." — ST.  JOHN  xi.  i. 

"  Now  Jesus  loved  Martha,  and  her 
sister,  and  Lazarus." — ST.  JOHN  xi.  5. 

"  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  plainly, 
Lazarus  is  dead."— ST.  JOHN  xi.  14. 

"  He  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  Lazarus, 
come  forth." — ST.  JOHN  xi.  43. 


NEW  YORK 
E.  P.  BUTTON  &  COMPANY 

31  WEST  TWENTY-THIRD  STREET 
1897 


L3 


COPYRIGHT 

E.  P.  DUTTON  &  CO. 
1897 


Ube  "Knickerbocker  (»res0, 


LAZARUS 


"  When  mourning  o'er  this  stone  I  bend 
Which  covers  him  that  was  my  friend, 
From  his  hand,  his  voice,  his  smile, 
I  am  divided  for  a  while. 
Saviour,  mark  the  tears  I  shed, 
For  Thou  didst  weep  o'er  Lazarus  dead." 


LAZARUS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  faint  red  lights  of  Jerusalem  were  twinkling 
in  the  distance.  The  sun  had  vanished,  leav- 
ing that  strange  ruddy  glow  behind  it  that,  in  the 
East,  usurps  the  place  of  twilight.  On  the  rose- 
pink  flushings  of  the  sky,  tiny,  pale  yellow  stars 
appeared  at  every  moment,  like  primroses  springing 
up  on  a  clover  field,  and,  with  their  appearance,  the 
sky  grew  a  greener  blue,  to  form  a  fitter  setting. 
The  palm  trees  looked  almost  black  against  these 
jewel  tints,  and  the  blue  olive  trees  grew  grey,  as  if 
about  to  die,  and  everywhere  was  silence,  except  for 
distant  croaking  of  frogs,  or  barking  of  wild  dogs. 

Alone,  along  the  road  of  Jericho  that  led  to  Beth- 
any, walked  Lazarus,  the  youngest  ruler  of  the  Syna- 
gogue, the  son  of  Simon  the  Leper. 

Poetic  and  dreamy  always,  to-night  he  walked 
more  wrapped  in  thought  than  usual,  for  his  heart 
was  full  of  a  great  unrest.  One  of  the  closest  ob- 
servers of  the  Mosaic  Law,  as  Lazarus  was,  some- 
thing to-day  had  stirred  his  thoughts  with  a  clashing 
dissonance  he  could  not  account  for.  A  poor  Jew 
had  been  brought  before  Caiaphas  for  failing  to  pay 


2  LAZARUS. 

a  money  changer.  The  man's  story  had  been  a 
piteous  one  of  sickness  and  bad  crops,  and  a  terrible 
overcharge  on  the  part  of  the  usurer;  yet  Caiaphas 
had  but  shrugged  his  shoulders  at  the  tale. 

"  Thou  hast  thy  remedy,"  he  had  said  to  the 
creditor.  "  He  has  houses  and  fields,  he  owes  thee 
money;  take  them.  Why  come  to  me  ?  " 

Something,  he  knew  not  what,  in  the  High  Priest's 
tone,  had  fallen  on  his  ear  like  a  wrong  note  in  a 
tune.  Was  this  justice  ?  For  justice  is  ever  man's 
measure-tape  of  right.  To  Lazarus  the  words  of 
Moses  came  back:  "  If  thou  lend  money  to  any  of 
My  people  that  is  poor  by  thee,  thou  shalt  not  be  to 
him  as  an  usurer,  neither  shalt  thou  lay  upon  him 
usury." 

Something  in  the  man's  despairing  voice  and  look 
had  seemed  to  open  out  new  thoughts  of  grief  to 
Lazarus.  What  was  bitterness,  where  was  healing 
for  its  sting  ?  What  was  life  ?  Why  was  life  ? 
What  was  he,  Lazarus,  doing,  walking  along  that 
road  ?  Who  was  he  ? 

Suddenly  earth  appeared  to  him  as  but  a  hillock, 
and  men  mere  creeping  insects  hurrying  up  and 
down  it.  Yet  the  ancients  said  that  man's  soul  was 
immortal.  God  had  appeared  to  Abraham  and 
Moses.  Would  He  appear  again  ? 

Surely  David  and  all  the  prophets  had  sung  of  a 
Messiah.  Surely  there  must  be  an  ending  some- 
where to  grief  and  trouble,  such  as  that  of  the  poor 
man  he  had  seen  that  morning.  Surely  there  was 
somewhere  a  justice  not  based  on  human  moods,  or 
swayed  by  human  caprice. 

Yes,  like  a  flash  of  lightning  on  a  darksome  night, 


LAZARUS.  3 

or  the  sudden  blaze  from  a  log  that  falls  from  its 
place,  there  sprang  up  for  him  a  strange  new  mean- 
ing in  life.  So  much  did  the  reflection  move  him, 
that  he  paused  by  the  low  wall,  and  looked  back 
towards  Jerusalem,  a  dark  mass,  now  lying  like  a 
gaunt  shadow  with  weird  shape  across  the  valley,  a 
faint  radiance  showing  only  where  the  roof  of  the 
Temple  lay.  Absolute  Justice!  Absolute  Truth! 
Right,  real  Right,  independent  of  creature.  Could 
they  be  found  ? 

Yes,  it  was  possible;  he  felt  it,  and  as  he  turned 
his  face  upwards  toward  the  sky,  and  as  the  cool 
night  air  fanned  with  soothing  gentleness  his  lips,  a 
voice  seemed  to  whisper  to  his  soul:  "  Seek! 
Seek!" 

Presently,  at  the  turning  of  the  road,  from  the 
gloom  emerged  another  figure,  and  a  voice  cried  out : 
"  Hail,  friend  Lazarus.  I  come  to  sup  with  thee." 

The  voice  was  young  and  fresh,  and  vigorous  as 
Lazarus's  own,  but  with  a  serious  vibration  in  it  that 
spoke  of  constant  introspection. 

"  No  friend  I  would  more  gladly  see  this  night," 
said  Lazarus,  with  truth  in  every  accent ;  for  Nico- 
demus  had  been  from  childhood  ever  his  greatest 
and  most  valued  friend,  and,  like  himself,  was  a 
young  and  promising  ruler  of  the  Synagogue. 

"  Whence  comest  thou,  Nicodemus  ?  Thou  wast 
not  at  the  Sanhedrim  at  all  to-day. ' ' 

"  Nay,  but  if  I  tell  thee,  thou  wilt  laugh,"  said 
Nicodemus. 

"  Methinks  't  would  do  me  good  to  laugh,  for  my 
thoughts  were  sad  while  thou  didst  come  this  way. 

Then,  lowering  his  voice  and   coming  close  to 


4  LAZARUS. 

Lazarus,  Nicodemus  whispered:  "  I  went  to  hear 
speak  this  strange  Man,  after  whom  the  people  have 
gone  mad,  and  I  can  assure  thee,  noble  Lazarus,  that 
His  preaching  is  no  mean  thing.  Verily  never  heard 
I  man  speak  like  this  Man." 

"  I,  too,  have  heard  rumours  of  His  preaching. 
'T  is  some  poor  fellow  that  hath  followed  in  the 
doctrines  of  John  the  Baptist,"  answered  Lazarus. 
"What  preacheth  He  ?  " 

"  Baptism  and  Repentance  of  Sins,"  answered 
Nicodemus;  "  and  yet  more,  He  speaketh  of  For- 
giveness." 

"  Who  shall  forgive  sins  but  God  only  ?"  ques- 
tioned Lazarus. 

"  Methinks  verily  't  is  some  prophet  from  God," 
said  Nicodemus,  "  and  it  surpriseth  me  that  neither 
Annas  nor  any  other  of  the  priests  doth  take  notice 
of  this  matter,  for  seemingly,  't  is  one  of  vast  im- 
portance. About  the  manner  of  this  Man's  birth 
there  are  marvellous  accounts,  and  even  as  a  child 
He  did  say  and  do  most  wondrous  things ;  and  His 
face,  I  cannot  tell  thee,  Lazarus,  how  beautiful  it  is. 
It  hath  an  expression  of  mingled  purity  and  power, 
and  it  troubleth  one  strangely  to  look  upon  it." 

"  I  will  one  day  come  with  thee  to  hear  Him," 
answered  Lazarus.  "  Even  but  now  did  my 
thoughts  dwell  sadly  on  the  present  state  of  govern- 
ment. It  seemeth  to  me  that  the  old  laws  of  Moses 
are  perverted  sadly,  and  that  the  world  groweth 
strangely  bad,  as  at  the  time  of  Noah." 

'  Yea,  worse ;  for  where  were  now  the  righteous 
man  to  place  within  the  Ark  ?  "  asked  Nicodemus. 
'  Yet  we  have  kept  the  laws  of  Moses  from  our 


LAZARUS.  5 

childhood  upwards,"  said  Lazarus,  unable  still  to 
break  away  from  the  teachings  of  his  youth. 

Nicodemus  was  silent  for  a  few  moments.  Then 
he  began  again,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  wishes, 
while  persuading  others,  to  persuade  himself:  "  Yet, 
Lazarus,  it  seemeth  to  me  that  within  the  heart  there 
is  yet  a  deeper  philosophy  of  right  than  the  law  of 
Moses  teacheth.  There  is  ever  an  inward  burning 
longing  for  rest  and  peace  and  happiness,  as  if 
somewhere  the  soul  could  rest  eternally." 

"  So  will  it  be  in  the  resurrection,"  answered 
Lazarus. 

"  Yet  that  is  far  off,"  said  Nicodemus.  "  Me- 
thinks  that,  even  in  this  life,  there  might  be  an  in- 
ward peace  with  hope,  such  as  this  Nazarene  doth 
speak  of."  Then  he  stood  still,  and,  gazing  down 
the  valley,  waved  his  hand  toward  the  dark  outline 
of  Jerusalem.  "  Mindest  thou  the  words  of  the 
prophet,  Lazarus  ?  '  Woe  to  Ariel,  to  Ariel,  the 
city  where  David  dwelt !  The  Lord  hath  poured  out 
upon  you  the  spirit  of  sleep,  and  hath  closed  your 
eyes:  the  prophets  and  your  rulers,  the  seers,  hath 
He  covered.  And  the  vision  of  all  is  become  unto 
you  as  the  words  of  a  book  that  is  sealed,  which  men 
deliver  to  one  that  is  learned,  saying,  Read  this,  I 
pray  thee :  and  he  saith,  I  cannot ;  for  it  is  sealed : 
and  the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is  not  learned, 
saying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee:  and  he  saith,  I  am 
not  learned !  '  What  thinkest  thou,  Lazarus  ?  Is 
not  Jerusalem  even  so  ?  Are  we  not  all  in  heaviness 
and  asleep  ?  Rulers  and  poor  alike  ?  Yet  I  feel  that 
in  us  everything  is  possible.  Think  of  the  great 
strength  of  a  man  the  great  understanding,  the  great 


6  LAZARUS. 

wisdom  of  men  such  as  Solomon  and  David.  How 
the  heart  doth  leap  with  joy,  and  then  doth  faint 
with  grief !  To  what  end  is  all  this  ?  For  death 
alone  ?  Nay,  I  cannot  think  so,  Lazarus. 

"  The  Romans  say  a  man's  life  is  given  him  but 
to  teach  him  how  to  die,"  said  Lazarus.  '  Think, 
too,  Nicodemus,  how  powerless  a  thing  is  man  when 
death  approacheth ;  he  is  no  more  than  the  grass  of 
the  field,  green  to-day,  faded  to-morrow.  What, 
then,  of  all  his  heart-beatings  ? ' ' 

"  Aye,  truly  death,  death  of  this  fleshly  body; 
but  there  is  another  life  within.  I  know  it,  I  feel  it, 
Lazarus." 

Nicodemus  seemed  carried  away  by  his  own  argu- 
ment, as  though  he  had  himself  been  preaching  and 
were  fired  by  his  own  reasoning.  '  Mindest  thou 
not  the  words  of  Job  ?  '  The  Spirit  of  God  hath 
made  me  and  the  breath  of  the  Almighty  hath  given 
me  life.'  Surely  the  breath  of  God  can  never  die, 
but  will  return  to  Him  laden  with  the  praise  and  wor- 
ship of  them  that  love  Him." 

More  moved  than  he  would  have  it  to  appear,  for 
he  was  not  a  demonstrative  man,  Lazarus  walked  on 
in  silence  till  they  reached  the  gates  of  his  house  at 
Bethany.  Here  they  were  met  by  the  ever  anxious 
Martha,  who  feared  some  accident  to  her  beloved 
brother. 

'  What  fearest  thou  ever  ?  "  said  Lazarus,  smiling 
at  her  anxiety. 

'  I  know  not ;  but  the  night  is  dark,  and  ever  since 
Barabbas  did  waylay  the  Pharisee,  I  fear  me  for  thee 
on  the  lonely  road,  lest  maybe  some  robber,  such  as 
he,  should  fall  upon  thee  and  take  thy  jewels." 


LAZARUS.  7 

"  Surely  't  were  better  far  to  be  the  sister  of  some 
poor  man,"  said  Nicodemus,  smiling,  "  than  to  be 
so  troubled." 

Then,  when  they  entered  the  house,  Mary  ad- 
vanced to  meet  them. 

"  We  heard  a  wondrous  story  to-day  from  Cana," 
she  said  to  the  two  men.  "  We  cannot  credit  it, 
but  our  kinsman,  Nathaniel  of  Arimathaea,  the 
cousin  of  Joseph  the  Counsellor,  doth  write  how 
that  they  were  all  at  the  wedding  of  a  friend,  and 
Mary  was  there  with  her  amazing  son,  this  strange 
Man  of  whom  all  speak;  and,  when  they  entered, 
Mary  did  say  to  the  servants,  '  Whatever  He  saith 
unto  ye,  do  it. '  And  there  were  set  there  six  water- 
pots  of  stone,  containing  water;  and  this  Jesus  said 
unto  them,  '  Fill  the  waterpots  with  water  ' ;  and 
they  rilled  them  to  the  brim ;  then  He  said  unto  them 
again,  '  Draw  out  now  and  bear  unto  the  governor 
of  the  feast. '  And  when  they  did  so,  behold  it  was 
all  wine,  and  of  such  choice  flavour  as  Nathaniel 
saith  he  never  before  did  taste,  for  he  too  was  there ; 
and  all  were  full  of  wonder  at  this  thing,  which  they 
do  term  a  miracle.  What  think  ye,  noble  rulers, 
can  this  thing  be  true  ?  " 

But  the  two  men,  full  of  new,  strange  thoughts, 
half  formed  and  wholly  inexpressible,  looked  at  each 
other  in  surprise,  and  Nicodemus  answered:  "  If  't 
is  true,  't  is  surely  a  God  who  hath  come  among  us." 

And,  all  that  evening,  they  talked  much  of  the 
Nazarene,  and  of  the  strange  acts  of  Annas,  and  of 
the  new  High  Priest  Caiaphas. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  Jewish  Passover  was  at  hand,  and  the 
Nazarene  was  in  Jerusalem. 

A  few  evenings  after  His  arrival,  Nicodemus,  full 
of  excitement,  sought  out  Lazarus  once  more. 

"  Hast  thou  heard  the  strange  news,  Lazarus  ?  " 

"  Nay,  I  was  weary  and  went  not  into  Jerusalem 
this  morn,"  replied  his  friend. 

"  Surely  the  thing  was  strange  indeed  that  hap- 
pened. This  Nazarene,  who,  since  His  arrival,  doth 
seem  to  drive  mad  all  Jerusalem,  did  make  a  scourge 
of  cords,  and  chased  from  the  Temple  all  those  that 
sold  oxen  and  sheep  and  doves,  and  poured  out  the 
changers'  money  and  overthrew  the  tables;  and  His 
face,  they  say,  did  glow  with  wrath  that  kindled  as 
if  with  fire;  yet  none  withstood  Him,  and  none 
durst  speak.  Thou  wouldst  have  laughed,  Lazarus, 
to  see  the  frightened  little  usurers,  sprawling  on  the 
floor  to  grasp  the  coins  that  fell  hither  and  thither, 
and  how  they  quarrelled  when  one  took  the  other's 
money,  or  several  darted  at  the  same  coin.  Oh,  their 
oaths  were  awful  to  hear;  yet,  for  all,  they  durst  not 
stay,  so  mightily  He  scourged  them.  '  Take  these 
hence,  take  these  things  hence,'  He  cried.  '  Make 
not  My  Father's  house  an  house  of  merchandise.' 
Then  He  said  again:  '  It  is  written,  My  house  shall 
be  called  the  house  of  prayer;  but  ye  have  made  it 

8 


LAZARUS.  9 

a  den  of  thieves.'  And  mindest  thou,  Lazarus,  how 
the  prophets  Jeremiah  and  Isaiah  do  so  say  ?  " 

Like  one  awaking  from  a  dream,  Lazarus  gazed  at 
Nicodemus.  "  Surely  I  mind  it,  Nicodemus;  'tis 
truly  a  wonderful  thing.  And  what  said  the  people  ? ' ' 

"  The  children  cried  out:  'Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David  ' ;  and  some  even  say  the  elders  raised  their 
voices  saying:  '  Verily  He  is  the  Son  of  God !  '  But 
the  chief  priests  and  scribes  who  were  in  the  Temple 
were  very  wroth,  and  they  came  round  this  Jesus 
and  protested :  '  Hearest  Thou  what  these  say  ? 
They  call  Thee  Christ  and  Lord  and  the  Son  of  God, 
and  Thou  contradictest  them  not  ?  Verily  Thou 
blasphemest  by  Thy  silence.'  But  He  looked  with 
wondrous  mien  upon  them  and  answered  only: 
'  Have  ye  never  read,  "  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes 
and  sucklings  Thou  hast  perfected  praise"  ?' 
Which,  if  thou  callest  to  memory,  is  so  written  in 
the  Psalms ;  for  the  marvel  of  this  Man  is  that  He 
speaketh  never  a  word  but  that  which  is  written  al- 
ready in  the  Scriptures.  And  while  they  would  have 
answered  Him,  yet  could  not,  and  sought  for  words 
to  say,  there  came  round  Him  such  crowds  of  lame 
and  blind  and  sick,  that  surely  there  was  no  room  any 
longer  for  priest  or  scribe ;  and  when  he  healed  one 
after  the  other,  and  they  left  the  Temple  whole  and 
with  sight  restored,  the  dumb  singing  aloud  in  praise 
to  God,  the  priests  did  fly  forth  from  the  Temple 
with  fear  and  fury,  and  hasted  to  tell  Caiaphas  the 
marvels  they  had  seen  and  heard.  And  they  say 
that  Caiaphas  is  so  wroth  that  he  can  neither  eat  nor 
drink ;  nor  can  he  write,  but  sendeth  message  after 
message  to  Pilate  to  give  order  that  they  lay  hands 


IO  LAZARUS. 

on  Jesus;  but  Pilate,  it  seemeth,  doth  but  laugh  and 
say:  'Let  this  madman  alone.  He  doeth  no  harm, 
but  rather  good,  seeing  that  ye  high  priests  can 
neither  give  eyes  to  the  blind  nor  make  the  lame 
to  walk.'  " 

Softly  as  they  spoke,  Mary  came  across  the  springy 
grass,  and  stood  close  listening;  then,  when  Nico- 
demus  had  finished  speaking,  she  exclaimed  with 
fervour:  "  'T  is  indeed  the  Messiah  who  hath  come. 
Nathaniel  wrote  truly  of  the  miracle  in  Cana.  It  is 
the  Lord." 

"  How  knowest  thou,  sister  ?  "  answered  Lazarus, 
amazed  at  the  earnestness  of  her  words,  which  yet 
seemed  an  echo  of  his  own  thoughts. 

"  An  inward  voice  doth  speak  to  me  day  and 
night,  day  and  night,  saying:  '  This  is  the  Lord, 
hear  Him,  hear  Him  ' ;  and  when  I  look  upon  His 
face  in  the  Temple,  and  then  around  on  this  vast 
crowd,  methinks  that  only  He  who  made  the  flowers 
and  birds  and  sunshine  could  have  made  a  man 
so  fair,  for  His  look  is  like  a  sunbeam  lying  over 
a  peaceful  lake;  and  the  thought  within  me  doth 
grow  and  grow  and  grow;  and,  with  the  Magda- 
lene, I  have  read  and  re-read  the  Scriptures,  and 
every  word  doth  testify  how  this  Christ  would 
come ;  and  it  grieveth  me  now  that  ever  we  spoke 
slightingly  of  His  mother,  or  could  dream  it  possi- 
ble that  she  had  sinned,  for  the  prophet  Isaiah  saith : 
'  Therefore  the  Lord  Himself  shall  give  you  a  sign, 
Behold  a  virgin  shall  conceive  and  bear  a  son.' 
Had  I  but  minded  me  of  these  words,  I  had  first  cut 
out  my  tongue  ere  I  had  breathed  a  word  against  her 
purity." 


LAZARUS.  1 1 

"  Surely  thou  speakest  strangely,"  answered  Laz- 
arus, "  and  we  must  beware  of  blasphemy.  I,  too, 
would  see  this  Man,  yet  I  fear  me  greatly ;  for,  if  He 
have  such  power,  maybe  I,  too,  would  think  Him  the 
Son  of  God  and  fall  in  worship  at  His  feet ;  and  then 
if 't  were  not  after  all  the  Messiah  that  shall  come  ?  " 

"  If  thou  wouldst  but  see  Him,"  urged  Mary, 
"  thou  couldst  ask  Him,  and  thou  wouldst  not 
doubt." 

Then  Martha's  voice  was  heard  calling  them  to 
the  evening  meal,  which,  in  the  ardour  of  their  con- 
versation, they  had  forgotten.  Darkness  was  falling 
quickly;  only  over  Jerusalem  still  hung  a  lurid  glow, 
that  made  the  houses  stand  out  vividly  against  the 
background  of  the  darkening  trees,  and  lighted  up 
with  steely  gleamings  the  rivulet  of  Kedron,  that  lay 
like  some  great  serpent  waiting  to  seize  upon  the 
heart  of  Jerusalem.  Then,  suddenly,  a  distant 
sound  of  voices  rose. 

"  Hosanna,  Hosanna!  "  cried  children's  voices 
on  the  stilly  air,  and  they  seemed  to  pierce  the  dark- 
ness and  fall  like  notes  of  holy  music  into  the  hearts 
of  the  little  group. 

"  Martha,"  said  Nicodemus,  leaning  over  the  low 
wall  of  the  terrace,  "  hearest  thou  how  they  salute 
the  Nazarene  ?  " 

Then  Lazarus,  too,  stood  up  and  listened,  and,  as 
the  cry  came  nearer,  something  strange  and  hard 
seemed  giving  way  within  his  heart.  He  saw,  as  in 
a  vision,  earth  and  sea  and  sky  all  rolled  away,  and 
crowds  falling  to  the  ground  in  worship  and  fear  and 
adoration ;  and  a  great,  white  light  that  paled  the 
glory  of  the  sun ;  and  notes,  in  power  and  harmony 


12  LAZARUS. 

undreamt  of,  gave  forth,  in  unearthly  cadence  of 
swelling  triumph,  the  news  that  the  Messiah  had 
come  indeed,  that  the  kingdom  of  God  was  close  at 
hand. 

In  that  one  moment,  while  the  voices  drew  ever 
nearer,  grew  ever  louder,  and,  in  the  darkness,  a  still 
darker  line  of  approaching  crowds  of  men  was 
streaked,  Lazarus  seemed  able  to  measure  his  own 
stature,  and  to  grasp  its  nothingness  against  the 
boundless  stretches  of  creation.  One  man  among  so 
many,  one  tiny  atom  at  the  feet  of  mountains! 

And,  as  the  vision  faded,  the  centre  piece  of  its 
glory  approached  along  the  road.  Only  a  strange 
luminous  whiteness,  not  to  be  accounted  for  by  dy- 
ing sun  or  rising  moon,  showed  that  this  Man  was 
not  as  other  men. 

"  'T  is  the  Lord,  let  us  go  forth  to  meet  Him," 
murmured  Mary,  with  nervous  awe  and  adoration  in 
her  tone;  and,  regardless  of  Martha's  voice,  rising 
querulous  now  from  the  house  door,  regardless  of 
the  opinion  of  the  Jewish  world,  regardless  of  all  in- 
ward doubt;  as  if  compelled  by  some  magnetic, 
supernatural  power,  the  three  sallied  forth  from  the 
gate  and,  meeting  the  Christ  when  He  reached  the 
summit  of  the  hill,  fell  down  in  worship  at  His  feet. 
While  Lazarus,  hardly  knowing  what  he  did  or  said, 
mindful  only  that  he  stood  in  a  majestic  presence, 
from  which  to  win  one  look  he  would  barter  life  and 
power  and  all  his  worldly  possessions,  exclaimed 
with  mingled  Jewish  courtesy  and  human  awe : 

4  Enter  in,  O  Lord,  enter  in;  all  I  have  I  offer 
Thee,  for  all  is  Thine." 

And  the  great  look  fell,  with  love  and  gratitude 
and  endless  blessing,  on  the  head  of  Lazarus. 


CHAPTER  III. 

IT  had  been  a  bold  stroke  on  his  part  this  bringing 
the  Nazarene  straight  into  the  house ;  for  Mar- 
tha's was  a  ruling,  decided  spirit,  and  she  had  set  her 
face  against  offering  hospitality  to  this  Man,  inter- 
ested though  she  was  in  all  that  she  had  heard  of 
Him.  There  was  danger  in  being  in  His  company. 
Already  the  Jews  had  sought  to  stone  Him,  and  His 
presence  in  their  house  might  mean  their  own  death, 
or  at  least  suspicion  of  complicity  in  His  condemna- 
tion of  the  ruling  powers,  and  thus  cast  a  slur  upon 
their  house  forever.  Yet,  when  the  Man  of  Sorrows 
stood  by  the  gate,  when  those  eyes,  overflowing  with 
grief  at  the  sins  of  nations,  fell  upon  her,  she  felt 
herself  reduced  to  nothingness;  even  the  inmost 
thought  of  cowardice  and  treachery  seemed  revealed, 
and  the  consciousness  was  born  in  her  that  she  was, 
if  not  in  the  presence  of  God  Himself,  in  that,  in- 
deed, of  one  of  His  most  powerful  prophets. 

Pale  and  doubting  and  hesitating  at  His  reception, 
Jesus  stood  at  the  gate,  wondering  how  He  would 
be  received;  as  He  has  stood  at  the  gate  of  each 
human  heart,  pleading  piteously  for  hospitality,  for 
entrance  into  the  affections,  for  rest  in  the  souls  of 
men;  yet  pleading,  so  often,  alas!  in  vain.  There 
was  something  so  pathetic  in  His  glory  and  in  His 
silent  waiting  for  admission,  that  Martha  felt  over- 
is 


14  LAZARUS. 

whelmed.  Supposing,  after  all,  that  this  were  indeed 
the  God  ;  how  terrible  every  moment  that  was  not 
pressed  into  His  service ;  how  unforgivable  the  sin 
of  hesitation;  yet  how  impossible  to  receive  Him  as 
befitted  Him!  Bewildered  and  flustered,  she  made 
obeisance  to  Him,  then  led  the  way  to  the  inner 
hall.  It  was  of  tesselated  marble,  roofed  overhead, 
its  walls  pierced  all  round  with  apertures,  that  let  in 
light  and  air.  A  side  door,  supported  by  columns 
of  porphyry,  and  opening  on  stairs  of  Shittim  wood, 
gave  access  to  the  garden ;  for  Lazarus  was  wealthy, 
and  Simon  his  father,  when  he  had  fallen  ill  with 
leprosy,  had  given  up  to  his  children  almost  all  that 
he  possessed.  The  lovely  house  in  Bethany  and  all 
his  gold  and  silver  and  jewels  were  theirs,  and  they 
gloried  in  them. 

As  those  holy  feet  stepped  noiselessly  across  the 
chamber,  Martha  now  was  convinced  that  it  was  no 
ordinary  man  who  had  entered  their  dwelling.  All 
the  beautiful  things  she  and  Lazarus  had  amassed  or 
inherited  seemed  shadowy  and  unreal  in  the  presence 
of  the  lowly  carpenter.  Yet,  for  all  that,  she  could 
not  sever  her  mind  from  the  conventional  hospitali- 
ties of  life.  She  hurried  away,  while  Mary  came 
and  cast  herself  at  Jesus'  feet,  and,  far  away  in  inner 
halls  and  passages,  she  could  be  heard  summoning 
her  maidens  to  bring  forth  their  best,  to  set  before 
the  Lord.  But  Lazarus  and  Mary  remained  by  His 
side,  realising  how  precious  was  every  moment  in 
which  their  Christ  was  with  them;  conscious  that 
He,  who  could  command  that  the  stones  be  made 
bread,  required  no  serving,  no  preparations;  only 
the  worship  and  living  passion  of  adoring  hearts. 


LAZARUS.  15 

Presently,  Martha,  wearied  with  the  task  of  gather- 
ing her  maidens  together  and  of  hastily  preparing 
what  seemed  fitting  for  such  a  guest,  returned ;  and, 
finding  Mary  sitting  in  silent  worship  at  His  feet, 
cried  almost  querulously:  "  Lord,  dost  Thou  not 
care  that  my  sister  hath  left  me  to  serve  alone  ?  bid 
her  therefore  that  she  help  me." 

Oh,  how  the  sensitive  Mary  winced  at  her  sister's 
words;  to  speak  thus  to  Jesus,  the  Christ !  How  all 
Martha's  want  of  spirituality,  of  enthusiasm,  of  re- 
ligious fire,  echoed  in  those  words !  The  world,  the 
world  and  its  silly  self-imposed  routine,  its  futile, 
paltry  laws  built  up  by  the  narrow  brains  of  men  to 
appease  their  limited  demands;  the  self-seeking 
satisfactions  required  by  man,  who  deems  himself 
the  ruler  of  this  world,  whose  little  span  of  life  seems 
to  himself  a  nation's.  To  those  who  believed,  as 
Lazarus  and  Mary  now  did,  what  mattered  wine 
or  garment  or  surroundings  ?  One  thing  only  was 
needful,  the  Bread  of  Life  such  as  fell  from  the  lips 
of  Jesus;  and  to  Jesus,  what  must  Martha's  words 
have  seemed  ?  To  Him,  to  whom  worlds  and  time 
and  space  and  life  and  death  were  as  nothing  to  the 
"  I  am  "  of  Eternity! 

How  must  her  words  have  sounded  to  such  an 
One  ?  Yet  the  Christ,  in  His  deep  sympathy, 
pitied  the  fretfulness  her  cry  disclosed.  This  wo- 
man's eyes  were  not  yet  opened.  How  then  could 
she  fathom  the  depth  and  length  and  breadth  — the 
majesty  of  the  personality  that  stood  before  her  ? 
But  He  saw  in  all  its  fulness  what  we  fail  to  see,  the 
weary  anxiety  of  the  woman,  the  doubting  of  His 
justice,  if  He  could  see  one  woman  toil  thus  while 


1 6  LAZARUS. 

another  idled.  With  gentleness  and  love  He  an- 
swered :  "  Thou  art  careful  and  troubled  about  many 
things:  but  one  thing  is  needful:  and  Mary  hath 
chosen  that  good  part,  which  shall  not  be  taken 
away  from  her." 

And  Mary,  in  adoring  wonder,  kissed  His  feet  once 
more  and  murmured:  "  One  thing  have  I  desired  of 
the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after,  that  I  may  dwell  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  my  life,  to  be- 
hold the  beauty  of  the  Lord  and  to  inquire  in  His 
Temple.  Thou  hast  redeemed  me,  O  Lord  God  of 
Truth." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

r  I^HE  light  came  in  in  streaks  through  the  cur- 
I  tained  windows  of  the  highest,  most  gorgeous 
apartment  in  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  lighting  up  the 
costly  silks  which  hung  above  the  couches,  and  the 
amber-coloured  robe  of  his  handsome  daughter,  the 
dark-eyed  Rebekah.  After  the  Magdalene,  with 
whom,  of  course,  she  was  never  mentioned  in  the 
same  breath,  she  was  the  loveliest  woman  in  Judaea. 
The  Jewish  nose  had  halted  midway  down  the  face 
in  Grecian  fashion,  and  the  olive  skin,  protected 
from  almost  every  ray  of  sun,  had  grown  of  an 
opaque  creamy  whiteness,  faintly  stained  as  though 
by  some  sweet  pink  flower ;  and  the  eyes — no  one  had 
ever  quite  known  what  was  their  colour ;  for,  though 
they  looked  almost  black  and  were  fringed  with  the 
long,  curling  Jewish  lash,  still  some  declared  that,  if 
she  looked  upwards,  they  were  blue  as  sapphire,  yet 
that,  when  she  was  angry,  they  flashed  ruby  red. 
The  beautiful  face,  the  rounded  chin  of  youth,  the 
sweet,  smiling  mouth,  like  early  barley  in  a  coral 
pod,  betrayed  not  yet  the  heritage  of  soul,  for  all  the 
pride  of  a  long  line  of  priests,  the  subtlety  of  the 
Pharisees  and  Sadducees,  and  the  crafty  cunning  of 
Annas  mingled  in  the  stream  that  coursed  through 
those  blue  veins. 

Of  an  intriguing  spirit  and  brought  up  amongst 

a  I? 


1 8  LAZARUS. 

the  politicians  and  great  rulers  of  the  day,  she  had 
become  a  personage  of  some  importance  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  young  lawyers  and  rulers,  anxious  to 
ingratiate  themselves  with  Caiaphas,  and  young 
Romans,  and  even  Greeks,  were  included  in  the  no 
small  group  of  her  admirers. 

Her  mother,  Annas's  daughter,  was  an  invalid,  a 
poor  weak  woman,  whom  dread  of  Caiaphas' s  out- 
bursts of  bad  temper  had  reduced  almost  to  im- 
becility. 

Rebekah  was  no  mean  linguist,  too;  she  could 
converse  in  Greek  and  Latin,  and  was  often  of  great 
assistance  to  her  father ;  but  this  was  more  from  the 
pleasure  of  the  importance  she  derived  from  it  than 
from  any  wish  to  help,  for  Rebekah  loved  no  one 
like  herself. 

To-day  she  lay  across  her  couch,  gazing  moodily 
from  the  window,  while  her  maidens  played  to  her 
on  the  cithern,  an  instrument  the  Greeks  had  lately 
introduced.  But  its  notes  seemed  but  to  irritate  her. 

"Stop,  stop,  stop!"  she  cried.  'Ye  do  play 
such  mournful  tunes,  't  is  like  the  wailing  at  a  burial. 
Come  tell  me,  when  ye  passed  the  market  place,  were 
there  great  multitudes  listening  to  this — this  car- 
penter. Saw  ye  any  rulers  there  ?  "  she  asked,  with 
scathing  irony;  "  or  did  only  the  foul,  the  blind,  the 
beggars,  and  the  leprous  assemble  ?  For  I  hear  this 
Man  doth,  above  all,  love  sinners,  and  the  beautiful 
Magdalene  they  say  hath  become  a  saint.  Oh,  the 
world  must  be  upside  down  when  the  Magdalene 
doth  become  a  penitent. ' '  And  while  she  spoke  and 
laughed  there  was  something  fraught  with  scorn 
and  malice  that  reminded  one  of  Caiaphas.  "  But 


LAZARUS.  19 

tell  me,  maidens,  saw  ye  any  comely  young  men  in 
the  crowd  ?  " 

"  Verily  we  saw  Lazarus  and  Nicodemus  and 
several  wealthy  rulers,  listening  so  intently  that  they 
saw  us  not  when  we  passed  by." 

"  Oh,  Nicodemus,"  she  said  scornfully,  "  that 
causeth  me  no  surprise;  but  Lazarus!"  She  rose 
from  the  couch  and  went  to  the  window  and  looked 
out,  while  she  conjured  up  the  beautiful,  stern  face 
of  Lazarus.  That  was  the  man  she  had  singled  out 
in  all  Judaea  to  be  the  idol  of  her  heart.  On  the 
few  occasions  of  her  seeing  him,  he  had  done  no 
more  than  give  her  courteous  recognition.  Once,  at 
the  bidding  of  Caiaphas,  Lazarus  had  come  to  the 
house,  but  he  had  barely  addressed  her.  How  well 
the  young  ruler  remembered,  when  he  had  left  her 
presence,  how  she  had  barred  the  doorway,  and  look- 
ing him  in  the  eyes  had  said:  "  Why  hatest  thou 
me,  Lazarus  ?  "  And  how  well  she  remembered  the 
scorn  in  his  eyes  at  her  unmaidenly  assurance,  and 
yet  the  gentle  courtesy  of  his  voice,  while  he  had 
answered:  "  Lady,  I  hate  no  one."  And  with  a 
proud  gesture  she  had  moved  aside  and  let  him  pass. 

Then  in  that  dark  heart  had  sprung  up  a  love  that 
was  so  jealous  and  so  fierce  that  it  was  almost  hate. 
"  He  shall  love  me,  or  he  shall  die,"  she  had  often 
murmured  to  herself. 

But  Lazarus  came  no  more ;  and  if,  perchance,  she 
saw  him  at  some  public  gathering,  he  greeted  her 
but  distantly. 

No  alliance  would  have  been  more  agreeable  to 
Caiaphas  than  would  this.  Lazarus  was  wealthy, 
Lazarus  was  clever,  and  his  life  was  such  an  one  as 


20  LAZARUS. 

Caiaphas  would  have  desired  for  his  daughter,  though 
he  himself  could  not  have  lived  it. 

Besides,  he  recognised  in  Lazarus  a  spirit  of  meek- 
ness that  he  fancied  might  make  the  mouldings  of  a 
creature  in  his  hands ;  and  Lazarus,  by  the  side  of 
Rebekah,  with  ambition  and  craft,  would  be  a 
powerful  colleague  in  the  council  chamber. 

"  He  is  spoilt  by  his  own  goodness,"  Caiaphas 
would  tell  himself." 

Long  did  Rebekah  muse.  Then,  turning  to  her 
maidens,  said:  "  Thinkest  thou  that  Lazarus  doth 
believe  in  this  Nazarene  ?  " 

"  'T  is  so  said,"  one  of  them  made  reply,  not 
wholly  without  malice.  It  was  a  satisfaction  to 
see  one  who  made  others  suffer  suffer  a  little  in 
return.  '  They  say  that  Mary  and  Martha  and 
Lazarus  do  receive  the  Nazarene  in  their  house  at 
Bethany,  and  that  they  believe  He  is  the  Christ." 

A  scowl  came  over  Rebekah's  handsome  face. 
'  Tush!  'T  is  foolishness!  He  would  not  be  so 
great  a  fool,"  she  retorted  scathingly.  "  He  know- 
eth  that,  at  most,  't  is  but  a  prophet.  Yet  I  hear 
that  this  Nazarene  hath  so  much  persuasion  that 
even  wiser  men  than  Lazarus  are  bewitched.  Even 
my  father  doth  say  so  much,"  she  added  with  the 
vehemence  that,  with  her,  always  ended  argument. 
Then,  changing  suddenly  her  tone,  she  said  softly, 
so  as  barely  to  be  heard,  and  coming  to  where  the 
maidens  were  still  seated  on  their  cushions:  "  Come, 
listen,  I  have  somewhat  to  tell  ye." 

Then,  when  they  rose,  she  came  close  and  whis- 
pered so  that  both  could  hear:  "  Methinks  I,  too, 
would  like  to  hear  this  Man.  How  can  this  be 


LAZARUS.  21 

brought  about  ?  It  could  but  be  at  night,"  she 
went  on  slowly,  like  one  making  a  plan  while  speak- 
ing— "  could  but  be  at  night,  when  my  father  writ- 
eth  and  my  mother  hath  gone  to  sleep.  We  will 
robe  ourselves  like  poor  women,  and  carry  baskets 
on  our  heads,  and  mingle  with  the  crowd." 

The  two  girls'  faces  expressed  such  horror  that 
Rebekah  burst  out  laughing. 

"  Oh,  ye  two  poor  frightened  things !  Can  ye  not 
go  where  the  High  Priest's  daughter  can  ?  Then 
stay  at  home,  and  I  will  go  alone." 

"  Nay,  but  it  is  thou,  lady,"  they  exclaimed  in 
one  voice.  "  How  canst  thou,  the  daughter  of 
Caiaphas,  go  out  at  night  to  mingle  with  the  crowd  ? 
If  Caiaphas  hear  ?  " 

"  If  Caiaphas  hear,  if  Caiaphas  hear,  well,  Caia- 
phas will  laugh,"  she  answered  mischievously. 

"  Nay,  he  might  laugh  with  thee,  but  with  us  he 
would  be  very  wroth,"  said  one. 

"  Well  then,  Caiaphas  shall  not  know.  This  very 
night  shall  we  go.  Find  out  where  he  preacheth, 
and  leave  to  me  the  rest." 

Half  anxious,  yet  enjoying  the  prospect  of  this  es- 
capade, the  two  girls  vanished  at  her  order,  while  she 
paced  the  room,  the  long,  orange-tinted  robe,  which 
reached  her  feet,  looking  now  green,  now  golden, 
according  as  it  passed  through  the  sun's  rays  or 
through  the  shadow.  Nervously  she  played  with  the 
beads  of  a  girdle  of  amber  she  wore  round  her  waist. 

"  Indeed,"  she  muttered,  "  't  is  not  the  Nazarene 
that  I  would  seek;  but,  if  to  get  sight  of  Lazarus  I 
must  needs  find  the  Nazarene,  then  go  I  must." 

Proud  Rebekah,  what  hath  come  to  thee,  that 


22  LAZARUS. 

thou,  whom,  hitherto,  all  men  have  sought,  dost 
follow  now  one  man  ?  What  is  love,  that  strange, 
subtle  fire  that  eateth  out  the  heart  and  bringeth  the 
mighty  low  ?  "  Oh,  I  would  that  Lazarus  did  feel 
for  me  as  I  for  him !  That  stern,  sweet  face,  how 
beauteous  must  it  look  when  melting  into  love !  O 
Lazarus,  Lazarus!  " 

The  afternoon  wore  on.'  The  streets  grew  silent, 
and  day  slid  back,  as  it  were,  from  the  gaze  of  men. 
Yet  still  dreamed  on  the  maiden  of  the  man  who 
cared  not  for  her,  pondering,  the  while,  how  she 
could  bring  him  to  her  feet. 

"  He  shall  be  mine.  He  shall,"  she  said  at  last. 
"  Women  are  stronger  far  than  men,  and  I  am  beau- 
tiful." She  held  a  mirror  to  her  face.  "  Oh,  I  am 
very  beautiful,"  she  murmured. 

'  Yet,  if  this  Nazarene  should  bewitch  him  ?  If 
he  should  take  the  vows  of  a  Nazarite  and  follow 
ever  after  good !  Oh,  that  would  be  dreadful !  No, 
no,  it  shall  not  be  that  the  Nazarene  shall  come  be- 
tween Lazarus  and  me.  I  will  not  suffer  it,  I  will 
not  suffer  it."  Then  she  clapped  her  hands,  that  the 
attendants  might  bring  lights,  and  left  the  room  to 
begin  her  preparations  for  the  night's  adventure. 

It  was  almost  dark  when  the  three  girls  issued 
from  the  house.  They  had  arranged  to  go  first  into 
the  garden  at  the  back,  and  thence  to  pass  on  to  the 
Jericho  road,  which  led  to  Bethany. 

Rebekah  looked  anxious,  and  every  now  and  then 
she  bit  her  lips.  Her  maidens  had  learned  that  the 
Nazarene  would  preach  that  evening  from  the  top  of 
a  mountain.  The  multitude  would  probably  be  very 
great,  because,  as  yet,  the  novelty  of  His  presence 


LAZARUS.  23 

had  not  worn  off.  Miracles  had  only  just  begun  to 
strike  the  people  with  awe  and  wonder,  and,  so  far, 
the  authorities  had  feared  to  check  enthusiasm,  lest 
thus  to  fan  the  embers  of  sedition.  It  would  be  easy 
enough  to  mingle  with  the  listening  crowd,  but 
would  it  be  so  easy  to  meet  or  single  out  Lazarus  ? 
Would  the  object  of  this  night  sortie  be  attained  ? 
Their  sole  chance  was  that,  by  walking  on  the  road 
to  Bethany,  they  would  meet  the  crowd  coming  to- 
wards the  town  and  perchance  fall  in  with  Lazarus 
and  Mary. 

Few  suspected  in  the  darkly  attired  women,  with 
veiled  faces,  who  walked  up  the  hill  to  Bethany,  the 
proud  daughter  of  Caiaphas  and  her  attendants. 
Here  and  there  some  woman  greeted  them,  or  some 
man  called  out,  but  the  girls  were  silent  and  strolled 
along. 

The  maidens  guessed  easily  whom  she  sought,  for 
it  had  long  been  common  talk  that  Rebekah  loved 
Lazarus,  but  that  the  proud,  stern  young  ruler  would 
have  naught  to  say  to  any  woman. 

Fortune  favoured  her;  she  had  got  not  far  when 
a  dancing,  shrieking,  clamouring  crowd  proclaimed 
that  the  Nazarene  was  coming  that  way.  Rebekah 
stood  against  the  wall  to  let  them  pass,  and  motioned 
to  her  women  to  do  the  same ;  then  her  eyes  searched 
anxiously  in  the  crowd  for  the  face  which  to  her 
meant  day  or  night — life  or  death.  But,  as  yet,  she 
saw  it  not. 

The  centre  piece  of  that  seething  mass  of  human- 
ity was  the  Nazarene.  The  Messiah  walked  along 
the  dreary,  dirty  road,  talking  little,  but,  by  a  strange 
set  earnestness,  led  men  on  to  follow  Him. 


24  LAZARUS. 

What  was  it  that  riveted  her  gaze  and  made  her 
tremble  ?  This  Man,  who  knew  her  not,  seemed  to 
unearth  the  secrets  of  her  soul,  and  as  He  passed, 
for  an  instant,  she  saw  herself  as  she  was,  a  brazen, 
flaunting  hypocrite,  joining  with  a  believing,  enthu- 
siastic crowd,  not  to  worship  or  to  learn,  but  to  seek 
out  a  man  who  cared  not  for  her,  and  who,  in  moral 
worth,  was  as  far  removed  from  her  as  were  the  stars. 
Then,  while  she  looked,  she  saw  the  face  she  sought, 
pure,  pale,  and  passionless,  gazing  either  at  his  Mas- 
ter or  at  heaven,  but  thinking  not  of  her. 

"  Lazarus!"  The  voice  that  called  was  full  of 
tenderness  and  piteous  appeal,  but  it  had  a  sensuous, 
luring  tone  which  filled  him  to  whom  it  was  ad- 
dressed with  terror.  He  fell  from  his  grand  musings 
on  things  of  heaven,  as  one  who  catches  his  foot 
upon  a  stone  falls  down  a  mountain  side.  An  im- 
patient: "  Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?  " 
was  on  his  lips;  but,  as  he  turned,  his  gaze  met  two 
deep,  unfathomable  eyes  that  searched  his  in  the 
darkness.  His  heart  beat  quickly.  'T  was  as 
though  an  enemy  had  caught  hold  of  him  and 
would  not  let  him  follow  Christ. 

"  Lazarus,  't  is  I,  the  daughter  of  Caiaphas,  the 
High  Priest." 

'  What  wouldst  thou  ?  "  he  asked  impatiently. 
"  What  seekest  thou  ?" 

'T  is  thee  I  seek,"  rose  all  but  to  her  lips,  in 
her  mad  frenzy  to  be  wooed  and  loved  by  the  young 
ruler;  but  something  in  his  face,  something  solemn 
in  the  surroundings,  a  purified,  restraining  atmo- 
sphere, something  she  could  not  account  for,  checked 
the  words  that  were  on  her  lips,  and  rapidly,  as  an 


LAZARUS.  25 

empty  basin  refills  itself  with  water  at  a  fountain,  so 
wily,  crafty  thoughts  poured  in. 

"  I  would  hear  the  Nazarene,"  she  said.  "  Wilt 
take  me  with  thee  ?  " 

Her  voice  was  soft  and  low,  and  he  could  not  de- 
tect the  false  ring  in  it.  What  new  wonder  was 
this  ?  What  if  the  proud  Rebekah  should  believe, 
and,  by  believing,  bring  her  father  also  to  the  feet 
of  Jesus  ?  It  seemed  incredible,  but  stranger  things 
than  that  had  come  to  pass ;  and  so  poor  Lazarus 
was  duped,  as  so  many  sympathetic  souls  are  duped 
who  do  not  recognise  the  livery  of  Satan  when  his 
servants  wear  it. 

"  I  will  take  thee,  noble  maiden,"  he  said,  with 
gentle  voice;  "  and  as  thou  hearest,  so  mayst  thou 
believe."  The  sermon  was  over,  a  sermon  such  as 
no  man  on  earth  had  ever  heard  before,  or  would 
ever  hear  again.  Interested,  despite  herself,  carried 
away  by  the  persuasive  power  of  the  voice,  the  divine 
beauty  of  the  Nazarene ;  clever  enough  to  grasp  the 
purport  and  to  interpret  the  subtle  meanings  of  each 
allusion  ;  surprised  at  the  fluent  speech  of  one  reputed 
to  be  an  humble  and  illiterate  man ;  amazed  at  doc- 
trines, that  were  the  complement  rather  than  the 
upheaval  of  the  Mosaic  Law,  Rebekah  almost  forgot 
the  subject  of  her  errand,  the  enslavement  of  the 
affections  of  the  man  she  loved.  It  could  not  be, 
with  the  words  ringing  in  her  ears,  "  Seek  ye  first 
the  kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness,"  and 
"  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,"  that  she  should 
broach  the  question  of  earthly  love.  Lazarus's  face, 
the  faces  of  Martha  and  Mary  in  the  distance,  the 
silence  of  the  adoring  multitude,  all  struck  her  with 


26  LAZARUS. 

a  sudden,  paralysing  shock,  as  if  an  ice  wind  had 
blown  across  her  cunning  heart.  An  overpowering 
terror  seized  her.  Was  this  indeed  the  Christ,  or 
was  He  a  devil  ?  What  spirit  of  folly  had  led  her 
forth  that  night  to  listen  to  such  things  ?  Truly 
't  was  a  moral  earthquake  to  hear  this  Man  speak. 

From  very  terror,  she  seized  Lazarus's  arm  and 
gasped:  "  Who  is  this  Man  ?  Who  is  this  Man  ?  " 

"  Surely  't  is  the  Son  of  God,"  said  Lazarus. 
For  one  instant  both  hearts  were  locked  in  a  com- 
mon interest,  while  he,  believing  in  her,  breathed  a 
prayer  to  God  to  open  the  heart  of  Rebekah,  and, 
through  her,  that  harder  one  of  Caiaphas. 

But  the  Christ  was  moving  on  and  the  multitude 
was  following  Him.  The  pale  moon  floated  gently 
above  the  blue-grey  olive  trees,  giving  a  weird,  sub- 
dued colouring  to  the  scene ;  while  on  in  front  the 
white  robe  of  the  Nazarene  seemed  to  glow  with  a 
supernatural  luminosity  that  guided  the  crowd  along 
the  mountain  path. 

Then,  in  dismay,  Rebekah  looked  round  for  her 
attendant  maidens;  but  they  were  nowhere  to  be 
found.  They,  too,  were  seeking  her,  but,  in  such 
a  crowd,  't  would  be  no  easy  task  to  find  her  in  her 
disguise. 

"  I  know  not  what  I  shall  do!  "  she  cried.  "  I 
cannot  see  my  maidens!  " 

Unnerved  by  the  words  of  the  Nazarene,  and  filled 
with  terror  at  her  loneliness  and  at  the  growing  dark- 
ness, her  voice  trembled  with  no  feigned  concern. 

"  Doubtless  we  shall  find  them,"  answered  Laz- 
arus consolingly;  "  but  if  we  find  them  not,  I  will 
accompany  thee  to  thine  house." 


LAZARUS.  27 

Then,  while  she  thanked  him,  Satan,  with  a  sar- 
donic grin,  closed  up  once  more  and  followed  in 
their  wake. 

With  the  comfort  of  Lazarus's  presence  came  a 
sense  of  safety,  and  terror  flew  away.  Gradually  the 
words  of  the  Saviour  lost  their  hold  on  the  sandy 
soil  on  which  they  had  fallen.  Love  and  the  pres- 
ence of  the  loved  one,  two  forces  stronger  than  life 
or  death,  even  than  eternity  to  some,  regained  their 
sway,  and  the  beautiful  Rebekah's  good  angel  fled 
forever.  And  Lazarus  ?  Lazarus  began  to  feel  the 
magnetic  influence  of  her  presence.  The  power  of 
evil  he  knew  was  close,  appealing  to  him  in  the  form 
of  a  lovely  woman,  whose  soul  he  longed  to  save. 
Chained  to  his  post  by  the  claims  of  courtesy  and 
chivalry,  he  could  still  cry  out  to  the  white-robed 
figure  descending  the  hill,  "  Lord,  save  me,  Lord, 
save  me."  Words  that  Rebekah's  lips  had  never 
learned.  "Take  no  thought  for  the  morrow,  take 
no  thought  for  the  morrow." 

Surely  't  was  Satan  who  thus  misused  the  injunc- 
tions of  the  Messiah.  Why  did  they  ring  thus  ? 
Why,  why  should  he,  a  ruler  of  the  Synagogue,  in 
the  vigour  of  his  manhood,  surrounded  by  wealth, 
sighed  after  by  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  Judaea 
— why  should  he  wander  footsore  and  tired,  hurry- 
ing hither  and  thither  after  a  man  who  preached  im- 
possible doctrines,  surrounded  by  a  vociferating 
crowd  of  illiterate,  uneducated  fanatics  ?  and  for 
what  ?  To  attain  a  crown,  of  whose  value  he  knew 
nothing,  to  enter  a  kingdom,  of  whose  existence, 
even,  he  was  not  sure.  Earthly  life,  what  joyous, 
moving  excitements  it  presented  to  one  young  and 


28  LAZARUS. 

influential  as  himself !  A  leader  of  the  people,  surely 
that  were  better  than  to  follow  in  such  a  crowd, 
seeking  after — what  ? 

For  one  instant,  this  horrible  temptation  seized 
him,  or,  rather,  it  was  photographed  on  his  brain, 
for  there  was  no  wavering  in  the  man  himself.  He 
was  like  a  man  betwixt  two  flashes  of  lightning,  each 
one  of  which  lights  up  a  different  piece  of  scenery. 
They  had  walked  quickly,  they  were  almost  along- 
side the  Christ. 

"Lazarus!"  He  knew  not  whether  the  name 
had  been  breathed  to  him  or  not,  but  he  met  the 
yearning  look  of  infinite  pity,  infinite  love.  In  that 
look  he  saw  the  great  height  attainable  by  the  soul ; 
and  indistinctly  he  could  discern  the  rungs  of  a  lad- 
der that  went  ever  upwards  to  an  altitude  of  infinite 
variety  and  limitless  possibility.  His  soul,  his  will, 
his  very  being,  grasped  once  for  all  Eternal  Life, 
and  he  lost  it  never  again. 

And  Jesus  and  the  multitude  passed  on. 

Two  eyes  in  the  crowd  followed  with  sadness  the 
figures  of  Lazarus  and  Rebekah ;  those  of  the  Mag- 
dalene. There  was  no  jealousy  in  that  look;  on  the 
contrary,  there  was  gentle  resignation.  It  was  part 
of  the  Crucifixion  of  Joy  that  she  knew  had  been 
allotted  as  the  expiation  of  her  former  sins.  Oh. 
how  vividly  the  past  rushed  back,  paying  her  out,  as 
is  ever  the  case  with  sinners  even  in  this  world.  She 
was  reaping  now,  reaping  bitterly,  wearily,  in  the 
noonday  sun,  the  fruits  of  her  own  sowing;  but,  as 
she  had  told  the  mother  of  Jesus,  the  very  grief 
seemed  to  give  birth  to  a  new  joy ;  the  joy  of  suffer- 
ing for  her  dear  Lord's  sake.  As  her  eyes  followed 


LAZARUS.  29 

the  two  dark  figures  that  now  barely  emerged  from 
the  gloom  around,  her  heart  seemed  to  die  within 
her,  and,  by  its  death-throes,  to  give  birth  to  a  new 
ambition  of  her  soul. 

Love,  human  love,  companionship,  friendship, 
were  passing  away.  Humanly  speaking,  she  was 
alone.  Dark  shadows  seemed  to  be  rising  up,  a  great 
wall  shutting  her  out  from  all  the  brightness  of  this 
world.  The  conviction  of  man's  solitude  here  on 
earth  was  forced  upon  her,  and  with  it  came  the  re- 
membrance that  there  was  One  who  never  failed  in 
His  companionship  and  solace. 

Yet  what  right  had  she  to  be  pained  if  Lazarus 
cared  for  some  other  woman  ?  What  claim  had  she, 
the  harlot,*  on  the  heart  of  any  man  ?  The  wealthy 
ruler's  least  of  all.  It  was  all  right  and  as  it 
should  be ;  yet,  at  her  heart,  lay  a  dull  thickening 
of  grief. 

Lazarus  was  certainly  not  prepared  for  the  scene 
that  awaited  him  on  his  arrival  at  the  house  of  Caia- 
phas.  He  was  about  to  conduct  Rebekah  to  the 
presence  of  the  High  Priest;  but  she,  laying  her 
hand  on  his  arm  when  they  reached  the  wall  of  the 
garden,  bade  him  be  silent. 

"  My  father  knoweth  not  that  I  went  to  hear 
the  Nazarene,"  she  whispered.  "  Come  into  our 
garden,  and  I  will  tell  thee." 

What  could  he  do  but  follow  ?  He  could  not 
leave  her  at  that  hour  in  the  street,  yet  he  much  dis- 
liked the  situation. 

*  The  author  has  adopted  the  popular  view  of  Mary  Magdalene's 
mode  of  life  before  she  had  repented  and  been  forgiven  by  the 
Messiah. 


3O  LAZARUS. 

The  moon  was  high  in  the  heavens  now,  lighting 
up  almost  with  brilliancy  the  walls  of  Caiaphas's 
house  and  the  grass  around  their  feet.  The  garden 
was  laid  out  in  Roman  fashion,  with  paths  and  laby- 
rinths and  stiffly  cut  yews ;  the  leaves  of  the  dark  fig 
trees  glistened  in  the  moonlight,  while  the  cedars 
rose  like  ghosts  from  the  dark  corners,  their  weird 
branches  spreading  out  from  them  like  great  curtains 
of  velvet;  and  everywhere  was  that  deep  night 
silence  that  raises  thoughts  of  death — except  far 
away  in  the  town  quarters  of  the  city,  where  distant 
music  floated  upwards  and  wild  dogs  barked. 

The  hour,  the  strange  silence,  the  moonlight,  the 
weird  beauty  of  the  haughty  woman  in  her  new 
appealing  meekness,  all  these  were  not  without 
effect  on  Lazarus's  mystic  temperament.  The  man 
who  loved  things  beautiful  around  him  could  not 
but  appreciate  the  artistic  poetry  of  the  situation,  or 
fail  to  admire  the  unusual  beauty  of  the  daughter  of 
Caiaphas. 

As  he  pushed  open  the  iron  gate  of  the  garden  let 
into  the  wall,  she  turned  her  head  towards  him. 

"  I  would  speak  with  thee,  Lazarus,"  she  said,  a 
faint  touch  of  the  domineering,  despotic  spirit  re- 
turning; it  was  the  voice  of  one  who  brooked  no 
opposition. 

'  The  hour  is  late,  and  my  sisters  will  be  waiting 
for  me;  maybe  too,  the  Lord  hath  returned  with 
them.  If  thou  art  safe  within  these  walls,  noble 
lady,  I  would  return." 

Rebekah  winced  at  his  words,  but,  in  her  frenzied 
love,  there  was  no  room  for  pride.  Now  Lazarus 
must  be  caught,  if  caught  he  could  be  by  deepest 


LAZARUS.  31 

wiles  of  feigned  meekness,  by  despair,  by  appealing 
love.  To  him  the  daughter  of  Caiaphas  was  at  pres- 
ent naught,  and  this  she  knew ;  to  be  loved  by  Laz- 
arus one  must  be  lovable,  true,  pure.  Oh,  she  knew 
well,  this  wily  daughter  of  the  wiliest  of  Jews — of 
whom  no  nation  is  more  wily — that  she  was  none  of 
the  things  she  would  appear  to  be,  yet  that  she  must 
needs  seem  all  to  win  him.  She  felt,  too,  that  now 
was  her  final  chance.  If  Lazarus — Lazarus,  en- 
chained so  far  and  kept  in  her  presence  by  the  claims 
of  courtesy,  should  leave  her  now,  never  again  would 
she  have  such  a  chance  in  such  a  place  at  such  an 
hour.  Her  lips  paused  only  to  give  her  brain  time 
to  revolve  the  best  means  of  winning  him  to  stay. 
For  one  moment,  whose  madness  later  made  her 
shiver,  she  thought  of  using  the  weapons  that  with 
others  would  have  been  so  powerful.  Could  he  re- 
sist, she  wondered,  the  softness  of  her  arms  entwining 
round  his  neck,  the  sweet  intensity  of  her  soft  lips, 
the  clinging  appeal  in  her  silvery  voice,  the  crystal 
tears  in  those  speaking  eyes  ?  No,  though  she  knew 
full  well  that  Rebekah  brought  low  in  meek  subjec- 
tion to  love,  the  haughty  daughter  of  Caiaphas  tell- 
ing her  tale  of  seductive  passion  in  that  secluded 
garden  on  a  summer's  night,  would  have  driven  most 
hearts  in  Jerusalem  mad,  from  very  love  and  won- 
derment, still  to  Lazarus  it  would  be  no  temptation ; 
the  very  boldness  of  it  would  disgust  him.  "  Yet 
he  must  have  a  heart,"  she  murmured  to  herself; 
then  added,  "  Whereof  I  have  not  the  key."  Then 
aloud,  fearful  lest  he  should  suddenly  depart,  she 
said:  "  I  would  talk  to  thee  one  moment  and  ask 
thee  more  of  this  Nazarene." 


32  LAZARUS. 

Oh,  lowest  wile  of  woman,  to  take  the  World's 
Salvation  as  her  bait  to  gain  so  base  an  end ! 

"  Perchance  this  woman  seeketh  to  believe,"  he 
said  to  himself,  and  suffered  her  to  lead  him  across 
the  dewy  grass  to  a  marble  seat  beneath  a  palm  that 
waved  gently  hither  and  thither  in  the  evening 
breeze. 

Then,  with  one  hand  on  the  back  of  the  marble 
seat  and  the  other  resting  on  her  knee,  she  turned 
towards  him.  '  Thinkest  thou,  noble  Lazarus,  that 
this  is  indeed  the  Christ  ?  For  if  thou  dost,  me- 
thinks  I  must  needs  think  so  too,  for  thou  art 
learned  and  well  versed  in  His  sayings." 

"  Oh,  if  thou  wouldst  but  believe!  "  said  Lazarus, 
in  his  intense  wish  to  instil  into  her  some  of  his  own 
faith  turning  and  looking  straight  at  her,  his  face 
burning  with  heavenly  fire. 

"  Look  not  at  me  thus,  Lazarus,"  she  said. 

"  Forgive  me,  I  thought  of  naught  but  of  how 
deeply  I  would  that  thou  didst  believe,"  he  an- 
swered somewhat  brusquely. 

'  What  matters  it  to  thee  whether  I  believe  or 
not  ?  "  she  retorted  bitterly. 

"  It  mattereth  to  Him,"  he  answered,  "  for  with- 
out His  knowledge  not  one  sparrow  falleth  to  the 
ground.  It  mattereth  to  me,  because  I  would  win 
all  souls  to  Him  for  their  own  sakes." 

"  And  to  win  my  soul  what  wouldst  thou  do, 
most  noble  Lazarus  ?  "  And  she  looked  searchingly 
into  his  face  with  her  great  eyes. 

Her  deep  voice  stirred  Lazarus  strangely,  her 
words  seemed  to  cut  the  clear  air  and  throb  there,  as 
if  with  expectation. 


LAZARUS.  33 

"  What  wouldst  thou  do  ?  What  then  is  my  soul 
worth,  thinkest  thou,  Lazarus  ?" 

"  What  is  thy  soul  worth  to  thyself  ?"  he  an- 
swered. "  What  thinkest  thou  of  Eternity  ?  " 

"  Methinks,"  replied  Rebekah,  "  that  Eternity 
with  thee  were  well  spent,  whether  in  Heaven  or 
Hell." 

He  turned  and  fixed  his  eyes  upon  her  sternly. 

"  Dost  know  that  which  thou  sayest,  noble  maid- 
en ?"  he  asked  her  solemnly. 

"  Yea,  I  know  well  that  I  do  love  thee,  Lazarus, 
and  that,  if  thou  wouldst  but  love  me  in  return,  I, 
too,  for  thy  dear  sake,  would  love  the  Nazarene ; 
but  if  so  be  that  thou  dost  spurn  my  love,  then  care 
I  not  whether  Satan  have  me  or  not,  or  whether,  as 
the  Sadducees  say,  there  be  resurrection  or  another 
world  at  all ;  for  where  Lazarus  is  not  I  would  not 
live." 

'  Thou  art  mad,"  said  Lazarus,  rising  from  the 
seat  and  pacing  up  and  down  the  path  in  front  of 
her.  Then  he  came  and  stood  in  front  of  her. 
'  Thy  words  have  moved  me  strangely,  maiden," 
he  resumed  hoarsely,  "  and  I  would  ask  thee  to  let 
me  go,  for  this  conversation  becometh  neither  thee 
nor  me.  The  hour  hath  bewitched  thee,  and  thy 
mind  is  overwrought  with  listening  to  the  Christ's 
words,  and  the  long  journey  hath  wearied  thee. 
To-morrow  thou  wilt  have  forgotten  thy  words,  and 
so  shall  I." 

Then  Rebekah  rose,  and,  with  a  despairing  ges- 
ture, wailed  bitterly:  "  Thou  mayst  forget,  but  I 
shall  not,  for  night  and  day  I  think  of  thee,  and 
long  but  for  thy  heart  only  in  all  Judaea.  If  thou 


34  LAZARUS. 

hadst  loved  me,  I  would  have  tried  to  believe  in  this 
mad  carpenter,  for  what  thou  believest  I  could  not 
do  otherwise  than  believe;  and,  if  He  promised  thee 
Eternal  Life,  I  too  must  needs  have  that  Eternal 
Life ;  thus  should  I  not  leave  thee  either  in  life  or 
death." 

But  here  her  voice  grew  shrill  and  angry,  remind- 
ing Lazarus  of  those  extraordinary  fits  of  rage  to 
which  Caiaphas  occasionally  gave  way. 

"  But  if  thou  wilt  not  of  me,  then  will  I  curse  and 
curse  and  curse  the  Nazarene,  because  He  and  His 
strange  doctrines  have  taken  thy  heart  away  from 
me;  and  my  soul  shall  be  upon  thee,  and,  maybe, 
my  life,  for  I  cannot  live  without  thee." 

Kind-hearted  as  Lazarus  was,  his  heart  ached  for 
this  impetuous  girl. 

"  Thou  talkest  foolishness,"  he  said  to  her,  trying 
even  to  smile  away  her  excitement.  "  There  are 
many  noble  rulers  who  are  more  worthy  of  the 
hand  of  Caiaphas's  daughter  than  am  I,  who  am  so 
wrapt  up  in  this  one  great  conception  of  salva- 
tion." 

"  And  what  are  great  rulers  to  me,  if  they  be  not 
Lazarus  ?  "  she  went  on  impatiently. 

"  Nay  but,  maiden,  listen;  Lazarus  would  be  but 
a  sorry  husband  for  thee,  with  his  heart  given  to  the 
Christ.  Maybe,  one  day  the  Christ  will  be  con- 
demned to  death ;  for  it  is  written  that  for  the  sins 
of  the  world  He  must  yield  His  life;  then  they  too 
will  be  condemned  who  loved  Him,  and  thou  and  I, 
Rebekah,  perchance  would  die  a  terrible  death." 

4  What  matter  that,  if  I  were  with  thee  and  thou 
wert  with  me  ? ' '  she  asked  passionately,  her  glow- 


LAZARUS.  35 

ing  face  upturned  to  heaven,  the  while  she  spoke, 
a  faint  hope  illuminating  her  brow. 

For  one  moment  Lazarus  paused  for  words  that 
might  repulse  and  yet  not  wound. 

"  Noble  lady,"  he  said,  "  farewell;  thou  art  not 
thyself  to-night,  and  to  listen  to  thee  were  wrong ; 
for  thou  thyself  wouldst  weep  if  thou  didst  know  the 
words  which  thou  hast  said.  I  thank  thee  for  the 
love  thou  offerest,  but  't  would  be  but  sorry  love  I 
gave  thee,  for  my  heart  and  soul  are  given  to  the 
Nazarene ;  henceforth  in  life  and  death  I  belong  to 
Him,  and  of  naught  else  can  I  think ;  and  if  I  cause 
thee  pain,  sweet  lady,  forgive  me,  for  I  would  not ; 
but,  if  thou  hast  a  sorrow  for  a  while,  turn  thee  to 
the  Nazarene  who  doth  assuage  all  sorrow.  So  shall 
we  be  united,  thee  and  I,  in  one  common  heavenly 
love,  that  will  wipe  out  all  earthly  yearning." 

But  his  words  fell  upon  unresponsive  ears.  A 
dull  rage  curdled  in  her  heart  that  she,  the  proud 
daughter  of  Caiaphas,  should  thus  have  lowered  her- 
self to  sue  for  love,  and  sue  in  vain.  Far-reaching 
plans  of  hate  and  vengeance  were  begotten  in  her 
raging  soul.  If  Lazarus  would  have  none  of  her, 
then  she  would  scheme  and  plot  against  the  Naza- 
rene, until  her  father  should  condemn  Him  to  the 
death  He  merited.  She  would  brook  no  opposition. 
No  man  or  woman  should  live  who  should  come  be- 
tween her  love  and  her.  Her  heart  had  grievously 
been  wrung  by  Lazarus ;  she  would  wring  the  heart 
of  Lazarus  in  return,  and  let  him  feel  the  full  weight 
of  her  hand,  the  full  strength  of  her  hate. 

"  Farewell,"  she  said  coldly;  then  passionately, 
"Go,  heartless  mummy,  and  may  thy  ill-spent  love 


36  LAZARUS. 

come  back  to  thee  with  usury.  May  eternal  life  not 
fail  thee,  after  all ;  and  mayst  thou  yet  reap  all  the 
joys  that  thou  hast  spurned ;  but  if,  perchance,  thy 
dust  shall  fail  to  rise  again  in  all  the  glory  that  thou 
covetest,  and  if  the  delusive  promises  of  the  Nazarene 
leave  thee  but  one  atom  of  remembering  heart  and 
brain,  recall  to  thyself  that  Rebekah  offered  thee  one 
certain  thing  for  all  this  doubtful  wealth,  the  love 
and  passion  of  the  proudest,  loveliest  woman  in  all 
Judcea." 

"  Nay,  but  it  is  not  doubtful,"  answered  Lazarus; 
"  nor  will  I  wait  till  I  be  risen  to  think  of  thee,  for 
every  day  my  prayer  shall  rise  for  thee,  that  thou 
too  mayst  love  the  Nazarene,  and  believe  that  He  is 
sent  of  God." 

"  'T  will  be  a  thankless,  weary  task,"  she  retorted 
scornfully,  as  he  raised  her  white  hand  to  his  lips. 
"  Farewell,  thou  heartless,  thou  bewitched,  mis- 
guided ruler." 

With  head  erect,  she  stood  motionless  in  the 
moonlight ;  and  the  heart  within  her  seemed  to  die 
when  Lazarus  swung  open  the  gate  and  passed  out 
into  the  street.  Like  one  in  a  dream  she  listened  to 
his  departing  footsteps  till  they  died  away.  This 
was  the  end,  the  bitter,  bitter  end ;  Lazarus  would 
never  belong  to  her.  That  one  short  hour  in  the 
fragrant,  silent  garden  had  brought  him  closer  than 
ever  he  would  be  again.  On  that  sweet  memory  she 
must  feed  till  ages  should  have  rolled  away,  while 
swathed  in  grave  clothes  of  finest  embroidered  linen, 
the  High  Priest's  daughter  would  be  lying  in  her 
granite  sepulchre. 

Who   would   bring  ointments   and   rare    spices  ? 


LAZARUS.  37 

Would  Lazarus  sometimes  come  and  see  her  grave 
and  think  of  her  ? 

But  between  now  and  then  there  was  life,  life; 
long  years  of  life,  with  all  its  possibilities  of  happi- 
ness, with  all  its  whisperings  of  love;  there  were 
thousands  of  days  to  dawn,  and  thousands  of  silent 
nights  to  come  and  go,  and  they  must  be  lived — and 
lived  without  Lazarus.  And  Rebekah,  the  proud 
Rebekah,  sank  to  the  ground  and  bowed  her  head, 
and  swayed  backwards  and  forwards  in  her  grief,  till 
the  cry  of  the  watchman  at  the  corner  of  the  street 
reminded  her  of  the  hour.  Then  with  a  step  weary 
as  if  with  sudden  age,  and  weeping  passionately,  she 
crept  into  the  house ;  while  the  watchman  cried  out 
again  to  the  sleeping  world : 

"  Babylon  is  fallen,  Babylon  is  fallen,  and  all  the 
graven  images  of  her  gods  He  hath  broken  unto  the 
ground.  Babylon  is  fallen,  Babylon  is  fallen! 
Fall-en." 


CHAPTER  V. 

FOR  a  long  while,  almost  from  the  moment  when 
the  Messiah  had  first  entered  his  door,  Lazarus 
had  been  ailing.  His  illness  seemed  to  baffle  his 
physician ;  for  it  yielded  to  none  of  the  simple  reme- 
dies he  prescribed.  Gradually,  almost  imperceptibly, 
Lazarus  grew  weaker,  but,  as  day  by  day  his  body 
became  more  feeble,  his  faith  seemed  to  strengthen. 
Never  was  man  tended  with  more  devotion,  Martha 
seeing  to  his  bodily  wants,  while  Mary  sat  and  read 
to  him,  or  prayed  with  him  in  his  moments  of  de- 
spondency. Moreover,  during  the  first  stages  of  his 
illness  he  had  been  daily  cheered  by  the  presence  of 
the  Nazarene;  but  this  was  before  the  Jews  had 
grown  so  virulent  in  their  persecutions.  Who  can 
imagine  a  more  peaceful  family  circle  than  that  little 
one  assembled  around  Lazarus's  sick-bed — the  two 
devoted  women,  refreshed  at  intervals  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Saviour  ?  Who  can  describe  the  purity 
of  the  spiritual  and  moral  atmosphere  the  Christ 
diffused  around  Him  ?  And  Lazarus,  lying  on  his 
couch  by  the  window  and  gazing  on  the  setting  sun 
sinking  behind  the  mountains  and  tinging  the  olive 
grove  and  fig  trees  of  Bethany,  would  wonder  why 
death  held  no  horrors  for  him  beyond  the  pain  of 
separation ;  for  that  he  would  die  of  his  illness  he 
felt  certain.  It  could  not  but  be  that  the  little  band 

38 


LAZARUS.  39 

of  believers  should  sometimes  ask  the  question  of 
their  heart,  why  Jesus,  who  had  snatched  so  many 
who  were  strangers  to  Him  from  the  jaws  of  death, 
should  daily  see  this  man  he  loved  convulsed  with 
pain,  saddened  by  the  prospect  of  separation,  and 
yet  doing  nothing  to  relieve  him. 

"  He  hath  but  to  say  the  word,"  Martha  would 
sometimes  say;  "  yet  He  speaketh  it  not."  Once, 
even,  she  cast  herself  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  and  en- 
treated Him  to  save  her  brother.  But  the  words  of 
the  Lord  were  but  scant  comfort  at  such  a  moment : 

"  Thy  brother  shall  rise  again." 

"  I  know,"  said  Martha,  with  that  querulous  im- 
patience, that  common-sense  which  so  many  good 
people,  who  are  devoid  of  charm  and  gentleness  of 
character,  possess — "  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again 
in  the  resurrection  at  the  last  day. 

Then,  floating  on  the  waves  of  unbelief,  pardon- 
able perhaps  at  such  a  moment,  rose  the  words:  "I 
am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life  he  that  believeth  on 
Me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live."  And 
at  the  words  the  sick  man's  face  would  light  up  with 
a  trusting  confidence  and  joy  that  made  the  by- 
standers to  wonder.  It  was  as  if  a  little  glory  had 
alighted  from  the  Christ  on  to  the  man  who  loved 
Him  so. 

Then,  when  Lazarus  was  alone  with  Martha,  he 
would  say:  "  Entreat  not  the  Lord,  for  who  know- 
eth  what  glory  will  yet  be  revealed  ?  His  will  be 
done  on  earth." 

Thus  the  loving  faith  and  trust  of  Lazarus  never 
wavered. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  hardest  trials  of  all  was  the 


4O  LAZARUS. 

scoffing  and  mocking  of  the  Jews;  for  Joanna,  the 
wife  of  Chuza,  who  often  came  to  see  Lazarus  and 
to  bring  gifts  of  fruit,  never  failed,  with  the  garrulity 
of  her  class,  to  recount  the  gossip  gathered  in  the 
market-place,  if  not  to  the  family  of  Lazarus,  at  least 
to  Rachel  their  handmaiden. 

'  What  say  the  Jews  of  our  master  Lazarus  ?  " 
the  latter  inquired  one  day.  "  Do  they  say  that  the 
Lord  will  restore  him  or  that  he  shall  die  ?  " 

'*  They  say,  '  Could  not  this  Man,  which  opened 
the  eyes  of  the  blind,  have  caused  that  even  this  man 
should  not  have  died  ? ' 

'  Yet  he  is  not  dead.  Methinks  the  Lord  doth  it 
to  try  the  heart  of  my  dear  mistresses,"  said  Rachel, 
who  shared  her  master's  belief  in  the  Messiah. 

Once  more  it  was  evening,  and  Mary  had  escaped 
from  the  heart-rending  surroundings  of  the  sick- 
chamber  while  Lazarus  slept ;  he  was  looking  paler 
and  more  wan  than  he  had  ever  looked  before.  It 
was  about  the  hour  that  the  Nazarene  was  wont  to 
return,  for,  while  preaching  to  the  multitudes  He 
seemed  to  find  relief  in  the  solitudes  of  the  country, 
and  to  like  to  shun  the  noise  and  tumult  of  great 
cities.  Sadly  she  stood  on  the  terrace  that  looked 
down  upon  that  valley,  in  which  she  had  once  striven 
to  comfort  her  poor  brother.  How  doubly  pathetic 
was  that  memory  now !  Loving  and  trusting  as  she 
was,  she  could  not  help  joining  in  the  strange  won- 
der of  those  days.  Death,  with  its  attendant  terror, 
had  seemed  so  far  while  Christ  was  near.  To  be 
sure,  in  the  far  distance,  death  was  looming  on  them 
all,  for  they  knew  the  Lord  must  die ;  and  it  seemed 
a  certain  thing  that,  after  His  death,  the  Jews  would 


LAZARUS.  41 

seek  to  destroy  all  those  who  had  believed  in  Him 
and  followed  Him,  or  who  testified  of  Him  by  word 
or  pen.  Indeed,  it  had  been  common  talk  amongst 
the  disciples  and  the  followers  of  Christ  that  they 
were  ready  to  die  with  Him,  if  needs  be.  Thomas, 
who  was  ever  wont  to  see  the  darker  side  of  things, 
had  even  stated  openly  that  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus 
meant  certain  death ;  and  certainly  the  terrible  end 
of  John  the  Baptist  justified  this  assertion.  Then, 
out  of  these  very  thoughts,  that  rose  from  the 
gloomy  mists,  not  so  much  of  doubt  as  of  amaze- 
ment, there  came  to  Mary  an  illumined  fancy,  big 
with  consoling  possibilities,  glorious  in  its  awakening 
of  faith.  What  if  this  approaching  death  were  one 
of  mercy  ?  What  if  Lazarus  were  being  taken  from 
the  wrath  to  come — from  terrible  temptation,  from 
loss  of  faith,  or  from  a  violent  and  awful  death  ? 

'  The  ways  of  the  Lord  are  past  finding  out,"  she 
murmured  to  herself,  "  but  who  shall  gainsay 
them  ?" 

Then,  as  the  darkness  began  to  fall,  she  fell  to 
speculating,  as  we  have  so  often  speculated  in  gazing 
on  the  lifeless  features  of  those  we  love — "  What 
then  is  death  ?  This  strange,  brief  moment  when 
all  is  over  ?  " 

"  I  will  ask  the  Lord,"  she  murmured  to  herself; 
but  even  while  she  spoke  she  heard  the  gate  of  the 
garden  being  shaken,  and  a  voice  calling  her.  A 
quick  pain  shot  through  her  heart.  '  The  Lord 
cometh  not,"  she  said  to  herself;  for  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel  needed  no  opening  of  gates,  and  was  wont 
to  appear  to  them  suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  But 
it  was  night  now,  and,  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  it  was 


42  LAZARUS. 

not  the  Christ's  custom  to  journey  after  dark.  Her 
heart,  prone  now  to  constant  shocks  and  dreads,  beat 
violently ;  yet  with  no  physical  fear  she  approached 
the  gate. 

"  Who  is  without  ?" 

"  'T  is  I,  Mary  Magdalene.  I  come  with  a  mes- 
sage." 

Mary  unfastened  the  gate  quickly. 

"  Welcome,  all  they  that  come  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,"  she  said. 

"  I  will  not  detain  thee  but  for  a  few  moments, 
for  Martha  doth  not  willingly  see  me  here, ' '  said  the 
Magdalene  sadly. 

'  This  grief  about  our  brother  Lazarus  hath  soft- 
ened much  the  heart  of  Martha,"  answered  Mary 
gently,  taking  the  Magdalene's  hand  in  hers;  "  but 
why  comest  thou  ?  " 

The  two  women  walked  along  the  path  together 
till  they  reached  the  marble  seat  on  which  Lazarus 
had  given  way  to  despair  so  dire.  It  was  so  dark 
now  that  neither  could  see  the  other's  face. 

'T  was  James  and  John  that  bid  me  come,  Mary, 
to  tell  thee  that  Caiaphas  sought  this  day  to  lay 
hands  upon  the  Lord." 

A  cry  rose  from  the  lips  of  Mary,  but  the  Magda- 
lene interrupted  her. 

"  Nay,  fear  not,  Mary;  His  hour  hath  not  yet 
come.  They  have  not  taken  Him."  Then  she 
went  on:  '  'T  was  a  wondrous  sight,  the  brethren 
told  me.  The  Lord  stood  in  the  porch  of  Solomon, 
and  great  multitudes  were  assembled.  And  on  the 
terrace  of  his  dwelling  stood  Caiaphas,  the  High 
Priest  himself,  and  listened ;  and  Nicodemus  with 


LAZARUS.  43 

him;  and  all  the  Jews  believed  that  Nicodemus 
(who,  it  is  known,  loveth  the  Lord)  had  persuaded 
him  to  hear  His  words.  He  had  just  finished  the 
words:  '  Though  ye  believe  not  Me,  believe  the 
works;  that  ye  may  know  and  believe  that  the 
Father  is  in  Me  and  I  in  Him.'  Then,  as  He  spoke 
these  words,  the  multitude  raised  a  mighty  voice; 
*t  was,  some  said,  as  if  it  thundered :  '  Works — what 
works  ?  Heal  Lazarus,  and  we  will  believe.'  ' 
'T  is  verily  a  marvel,"  murmured  Mary. 

But  the  Magdalene  went  on:  "  Then,  when  the 
crowd  grew  even  more  angry  and  came  nearer,  as 
though  to  strike  the  Christ,  the  wily  Caiaphas  did 
choose  that  moment  to  send  forth  soldiers;  and  a 
centurion  rushed  into  their  midst  followed  by  ten 
soldiers.  'Seize  ye  Him,'  he  cried ;  and  all  the 
multitude  with  one  voice  shouted,  'Seize  Him,  cru- 
cify Him,  for  He  blasphemeth  ' ;  and  every  now  and 
then  a  voice  cried  out,  '  Show  us  Lazarus  whole,' 
and  all  the  time  Caiaphas  stood  and  watched  to  see 
them  seize  the  Lord.  The  soldiers  were  upon  Him. 
James  doth  tell  me  that  the  Roman  centurion's 
brown  hand  did  rest  upon  the  white  garments  of  the 
Nazarene,  when  suddenly  he  fell  back  as  one  that 
had  seen  a  vision,  and,  while  he  stood  with  gaping 
mouth  and  wide-open  eyes,  the  Nazarene  did  dis- 
appear. 

"  And  now  where  is  he  ?  "  asked  Mary,  after  a 
brief  pause. 

;<  He  hath  gone  again  to  Jordan,  and  will  tarry 
many  days,"  rejoined  the  Magdalene. 

'  Then  Lazarus  my  brother  will  die,"  wailed 
Mary,  and,  giving  way  at  last  to  the  human  grief, 


44  LAZARUS. 

which,  in  the  absence  of  the  Lord,  had  gained  the 
mastery,  laid  her  head  on  the  Magdalene's  shoulder, 
while  every  now  and  then  she  moaned:  "  Lazarus 
will  die  and  my  Lord  is  away." 

And  the  Magdalene,  whose  deep  grief  none  but 
the  mother  of  Jesus  had  divined,  joined  her  tears 
with  those  of  the  other  Mary,  and  cried  as  though 
her  heart  would  break;  yet,  to  give  courage  to  her- 
self, she  sobbed:  "He  will  live  again,  he  will  live 
again. ' ' 

At  that  moment  the  door  of  the  house  was  opened, 
and  a  woman  came  out  of  the  porch  and  looked 
around;  then  a  querulous  voice  exclaimed :  "  Mary, 
Mary,  where  art  thou  ?  " 

Mary  rose  to  answer  her  sister's  call,  but  the 
Magdalene  made  as  if  she  would  depart. 

"  Nay,  stay;  thou  wouldst  see  Lazarus,"  said  the 
kindly  Mary,  "  and  thou  hast  walked  many  miles; 
thou  must  rest  and  be  refreshed." 

But  the  Magdalene  answered:  "  Nay,  nay;  anger 
not  Martha,  for  she  hath  much  to  trouble  her." 

They  turned  their  footsteps  towards  the  house, 
and  Martha  came  to  meet  them. 

'  This  is  a  fitting  time,  forsooth,  when  thy  brother 
lieth  sick,  to  wander  in  the  garden.  Thinkest  thou 
I  have  naught  to  do  that  thou  leavest  me  to  serve 
alone  ?  " 

Mary  had  scarce  murmured  a  meek,  "  Forgive  me, 
sister,"  when  the  eyes  of  Martha  fell  on  the  Mag- 
dalene. 

'  What  dost  thou  here  ?  "  she  asked  sternly;  for 
she  had  been  brought  up  in  the  sternest  principles 
of  morality,  and  with  all  the  Pharisaical  hatred  of 


LAZARUS.  45 

acknowledged  sinners.  She  could  not  overcome  her 
dislike  of  the  Magdalene,  although  she  had  tried  to 
modify  it  of  late. 

Ever  striving  to  keep  peace,  Mary  said  gently  to 
her  sister :  "  She  hath  brought  a  message  from  James 
and  John,  to  bid  us  not  tarry  for  the  Lord,  for  that 
He  cometh  not ;  and  she  is  weary  and  footsore  with 
the  long  journey." 

The  Jewish  hospitality  filled  the  gap  of  loving 
friendliness  in  Martha's  heart,  and  she  bid  her  wel- 
come. 

"  Woe  is  me,  that  the  Lord  still  tarrieth,"  she 
said,  "  for  our  brother  is  very  weak,  and  but  now 
he  sent  me  forth  to  see  whether  the  Master  cometh. 
'  I  cannot  die  without  the  Lord,'  he  said." 

"  Methought  I  would  take  the  Magdalene  to  him, 
if  so  be  he  is  awake,"  said  Mary  presently,  glancing 
nervously  at  her  sister,  as  though  fearing  she  would 
not  allow  this  visit.  "  Peradventure  the  night  will 
seem  shorter  if  the  Magdalene  tell  him  what  hath 
happened  to  our  Lord." 

Martha's  face  hardened,  but  she  said  neither  yea 
nor  nay.  '  The  night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at 
hand,"  she  murmured  enigmatically  as  she  re-en- 
tered the  house.  Mary  conducted  the  Magdalene 
across  the  tesselated  pavement  to  the  gorgeous  room, 
in  which  was  a  couch  hung  with  costly  silks.  With 
his  face  turned  in  patient  watchfulness  towards  the 
door  lay  the  dying  Lazarus,  longing  for  his  Lord. 

But  the  sight  of  his  poor  thin  face,  the  eager  ex- 
pectation in  his  eyes,  that  died  out  when  the  two 
women  entered,  was  too  much  for  the  Magdalene, 
who  had  loved  him  so  truly  and  so  long ;  ever  since, 


46  LAZARUS. 

as  a  proud  young  ruler  (proud  in  the  rectitude  of  his 
immaculate  life),  he  had  passed  her  with  disdain  as 
she  sat  at  the  Virgin's  Well  and  chatted  with  the 
passer-by.  Wounded  and  stung  by  his  indifference 
as  she  had  been,  it  had  yet  been  the  first  means  of 
leading  her  to  more  serious  thoughts.  Since  then  her 
heart  had  filled  with  admiration  and  respect  for  this 
rich  young  ruler,  who  could  resist  the  charms  of — 
what  she  knew  herself  to  be — the  most  beautiful 
woman  in  Jerusalem,  and  one  who  for  several  years 
had  been  courted  by  all  the  greatest  men.  Then, 
from  that  admiration,  had  grown  an  adoring,  wor- 
shipping, respectful  love,  the  shadow,  as  it  were,  of 
the  purified  love  she  now  felt  for  the  Saviour;  and 
when,  united  by  the  common  bond  of  devotion,  they 
had  met  at  the  Lord's  feet,  she  had  been  content  to 
think  that  in  religious  thought,  at  least,  they  were 
as  one.  But  Lazarus  had  known  nothing  of  what 
she  thought. 

It  was  as  if  suddenly,  with  approaching  death,  a 
far-seeing  second  sight  had  come  to  him ;  as  if  scales 
had  fallen  from  his  eyes,  and  it  were  given  to  him  to 
read  the  hidden  thoughts  of  men.  He  said  pityingly 
to  the  Magdalene,  who  had  thrown  herself  on  her 
knees  beside  his  couch,  and  was  shedding  silent  tears 
behind  her  hands:  "  Weep  not  for  me,  Mary,  weep 
not  for  me."  Then,  while  her  frame  shook  with 
suppressed  sobs,  he  laid  his  wasted  fingers  with  rev- 
erence on  her  golden  tresses,  and  stroking  them  ten- 
derly, murmured:  "Who  knoweth  yet  what  the 
Lord  will  do  ?  "  Then,  when  human  strength  gave 
way,  spiritual  weakness  seemed  to  strengthen. 
"  Would  I  could  see  the  Lord!  Would  I  could  see 


LAZARUS.  47 

the  Lord !  My  God,  my  God,  hast  Thou  forsaken 
me?" 

This  was  indeed  a  bitter  time  ol  trial  and  tempta- 
tion to  these  poor  women  and  to  the  dying  Lazarus. 
To  the  dying  man  it  seemed  as  if  demons  of  despair 
were  dancing  around  his  bed,  as  if  Satan  himself 
grinned  at  him  and  hissed:  "Where  is  now  thy 
God  ?  Where  is  now  thy  God  ?  " 

Once  he  shrieked  out,  as  though  in  answer  to  their 
gibings:  "Yet  I  will  still  believe,  I  will  believe. 
Depart  from  me  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  Yea, 
though  I  die,  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth  and 
that  He  will  take  me  unto  Himself." 

And  angels  unseen  and  unheard,  except  of  Laz- 
arus, echoed  in  glorious  cadence  of  softest  heavenly 
music:  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth." 

But  the  two  poor  women  were  torn  with  grief. 
They  felt  now  that  the  Lord  durst  not  appear  in 
person;  but  they  knew  that,  if  He  were  to  speak  the 
word,  their  brother  would  live.  It  needed  all  their 
teaching  of  many  months  to  believe  still,  in  the  face 
of  this  seeming  desertion  by  the  Christ.  They  had 
sent  messenger  after  messenger  on  horseback  to 
Him,  to  where  He  sojourned  near  the  river  Jordan ; 
but  all  He  had  answered  them  had  been:  "  This 
sickness  is  not  unto  death,  but  for  the  glory  of  God, 
that  the  Son  of  God  might  be  glorified  thereby." 

His  words  had  given  them  a  little  hope,  but  when 
day  succeeded  day  and  Lazarus  grew  weaker,  each 
hour  seeming  to  make  his  breath  more  laboured,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  very  words  of  the  Lord  Himself  for 
once  lacked  truth.  The  "  If  "  of  life  entered  the 
soul  of  Martha. 


48  LAZARUS. 

If,  after  all,  this  man  were  an  Antichrist,  a  de- 
luder  of  souls,  a  fanatic  who  but  fancied  Himself  the 
Son  of  God ;  a  semi-illuminated  prophet  who  under- 
stood the  Truth,  who  knew  the  worth  of  righteous- 
ness but  who  had  no  power  from  above  ?  Then 
again,  if  this  doubting  were  but  a  temptation  of  the 
Evil  One  ?  Or  again,  what  if  God  were  trying  and 
wringing  the  heart  of  Christ,  as  when  He  had  allowed 
Him  to  be  tempted  by  the  devil  on  the  Mount?  What 
if  Christ's  prayers  to  His  Father  were  unanswered  ? 
What  if  He  too  were  enveloped  in  gloom  and 
loneliness  ?  Oh,  what  a  mystery  was  life  and  death ! 
And  into  the  core  of  Martha's  soul  there  crept  once 
more  the  question,  Why  had  this  world  been  created? 
Why  had  each  creature  been  born  into  a  world  of 
mystery  and  darkness  ?  But,  all  the  time,  the  two 
Marys  clasped  the  hands  of  Lazarus,  as  if  by  press- 
ing they  could  instil  their  courage  into  his  deaden- 
ing veins.  What  if,  at  the  last  moment,  he  were 
wrested  from  them  eternally  by  a  flickering  out  of 
faith  ? 

No,  to  the  end,  be  the  future  what  it  might,  if  the 
sisters  were  to  live  on  to  face  disillusion  and  a  crush- 
ing out  of  all  their  hopes  till  the  fatal  knock  of 
death  should  be  heard  against  the  window,  the  flame 
of  faith  must  be  kept  alive. 

The  silent  chamber,  dimly  lighted  by  the  Roman 
lamp,  such  as  had  now  become  the  fashion  in  Judaea, 
grew  even  stiller  and  more  gloomy,  the  three  wo- 
men's figures  more  immobile,  the  expectant  eyes  of 
Lazarus  more  dim ;  his  breath  came  and  went  more 
painfully,  and  his  body  seemed  torn  by  a  spirit  that 
was  struggling  to  escape.  Only  the  faint  sound  of 


LAZARUS.  49 

croaking  frogs  and  the  far-off  barking  of  dogs  dis- 
turbed the  silence. 

Presently  Lazarus  murmured  faintly:  "  Sing  to 
me,  Mary."  It  was  as  if  he  had  bridged  over  years 
of  suffering  and  trial  and  gone  back  to  the  time  when 
he  was  a  little  child  and  Mary  had  sung  him  off  to 
sleep. 

Steadying  her  voice  and  wiping  away  her  tears, 
Mary  raised  her  voice  on  the  silent  night,  singing  to 
a  lovely  Hebrew  chant  the  words  of  the  Psalmist 
David — words  that  seemed  written  in  answer  to  their 
doubtings:  "  The  Lord  is  righteous  in  all  His  ways, 
and  holy  in  all  His  works.  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto 
all  them  that  call  upon  Him.  He  will  fulfil  the  de- 
sire of  them  that  fear  Him :  He  also  will  bear  them 
up  and  will  save  them.  The  Lord  preserveth  all  them 
that  love  Him:  Refuge  failed  me;  I  cried  unto 
Thee,  O  Lord ;  I  said  Thou  art  my  refuge  and  my 
portion  in  the  land  of  the  living.  Attend  unto  my 
cry,  for  I  am  brought  very  low.  Bring  my  soul  out 
of  prison,  that  I  may  praise  Thy  name." 

Then,  when  her  voice  faltered,  the  Magdalene  took 
up  the  strain  and  sang :  ' '  Yea,  though  I  walk  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil, 
for  Thou  art  with  me ;  Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff,  they 
comfort  me." 

As  the  words  died  away  on  her  quivering  lips,  the 
expiring  eyes  of  Lazarus  met  hers  with  a  smile  of 
deepest  love  and  gratitude.  Then  the  jaw  relaxed, 
the  hand  that  lay  in  Mary's  twitched  convulsively, 
and  the  last  hope  of  those  trusting  women  died 
when  Lazarus  fell  back  dead.  And  into  their  souls 
there  crept  a  dull  stagnation ;  something  seemed  to 


50  LAZARUS. 

die  within  them,  or  to  flee  away  with  the  spirit  of 
their  brother.  The  living  flame  of  faith  flickered 
lower  and  lower,  and  over  the  prostrate  body  of 
Lazarus  bent  but  soulless  images  that  could  only 
weep  and  weep  and  weep. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE  morning  after  Lazarus's  death,  Jerusalem's 
streets  were  thronged  with  people  hurrying  to 
and  fro.  Groups  of  Pharisees,  looking  joyous  and 
triumphant,  formed  themselves  in  the  market  place 
and  outside  the  Temple  and  the  principal  buildings, 
and  occasionally  a  Sadducee  would  stop  and  make 
some  derisive  observation,  to  which  the  others  would 
respond  with  shouts  of  laughter. 

Nor  were  the  higher  authorities  less  preoccupied ; 
now  and  then,  pressing  his  horse  forward  till  it 
pranced  almost  on  to  the  heads  of  the  crowd,  rode 
a  centurion  with  a  message  from  Pontius  Pilate  or 
from  Caiaphas,  summoning  a  chief  ruler  or  a  leading 
priest,  as  the  case  might  be.  Occasionally  some 
great  rabbi  would  arrest  his  course  to  ask  news  of 
him ;  and  the  soldier  would  either  shake  his  head,  or 
laughingly  make  some  such  answer  as  the  following : 
"  His  own  friend  hath  done  for  him.  Lazarus  is 
dead ;  if  the  Nazarene  could  have  saved  any  one  He 
would  have  saved  His  beloved  Lazarus.  But  Laz- 
arus is  dead,  and  though  the  two  women,  Martha 
and  Mary,  sent  to  Him  many  times,  He  would  not 
go." 

"  I  hear,"  said  another,  "  that  He  even  said  to 
their  messengers  that  Lazarus  would  not  die :  '  This 
sickness  is  not  unto  death,  but  for  the  glory  of  God, 

51 


52  LAZARUS. 

that  the  Son  of  God  might  be  glorified  thereby.' 
How  is  He  glorified  ?  " 

"  No,  Jesus  hath  failed,"  joined  in  another.  "  I 
own  that,  for  a  time,  I  almost  believed  in  Him  my- 
self; His  presence  is  certainly  a  most  majestic  one, 
and  He  is  some  great  prophet  without  a  doubt. 
But  Lazarus's  death  proveth  that  He  is  not  the  Son 
of  God;  still,  we  cannot  forget  His  miracles,  for 
already  twenty-eight  have  been  recorded  of  Him. 
We  cannot,  because  one  man  hath  died,  ignore  the 
marvellous  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  the  restoring 
of  the  withered  hand,  and  the  healing  of  the  lunatic 
child." 

"  Ah,"  answered  another,  "  thou,  Nicodemus, 
wert  ever  a  believer  in  the  supernatural ;  I  hear  that 
thou  hast  even  visited  this  Jesus  by  night,  thereby 
putting  thy  life  in  danger,  for,  if  Caiaphas  should 
suspect  treachery  in  thee,  a  ruler  of  the  Synagogue, 
before  nightfall  thou  wouldst  be  in  Barabbas's  place, 
or  chained  beside  him.  Or,  wouldst  thou  escape  by 
saying  that  thou  wast  in  love  with  Martha  or  with 
Mary  ?  " 

Said  another  voice,  scornfully:  "  If  so,  Nico- 
demus, thou  hast  but  a  sorry  chance,  for  both 
women  have,  I  hear,  devoted  themselves  to  the 
service  of  this  Jesus;  and  naught  but  a  marriage 
such  as,  it  is  rumoured,  was  his  mother's,  will  com- 
mend itself  to  them.  I  fancy  thou  wouldst  not  care 
to  be  a  second  Joseph." 

But  Nicodemus  made  no  answer.  His  eyes,  up- 
lifted towards  the  hills  above  Jerusalem,  shone  with  a 
light  of  rapture  and  devotion,  as  though  he  strove  to 
pierce  the  skies  and  gain  enlightenment  in  its  deep 


LAZARUS.  53 

blue  expanse.  He  heeded  not  the  mocking  words 
around  him.  He  was  lost,  as  one  in  a  dream.  He 
had  just  come  from  the  presence  of  the  Nazarene. 
There  still  rang  in  his  ears  the  words:  "  I  am  the 
light  of  the  world.  He  that  followeth  Me  shall  not 
walk  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life." 

Oh,  for  light,  more  light,  to  understand !  It  had 
all  seemed  so  clear  to  Nicodemus.  He  had  followed, 
disguised,  it  is  true,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  ever  since 
the  first  miracle  of  the  turning  of  water  into  wine. 
He  had  sought  Him  out  at  night,  either  in  the  dark 
silence  of  the  shore  of  Galilee  or  in  the  house  of 
Lazarus  at  Bethany.  He  had  tried,  oh,  so  hard,  to 
believe.  In  bewildered  wonder  he  had  crept  to 
Jesus'  feet  and  had  poured  out  his  doubts,  his  end- 
less questionings  and  earthly  arguments,  that  yet 
had  taught  him  nothing. 

"  Rabbi,"  he  had  said,  "  we  know  that  Thou  art 
a  teacher  come  from  God,  for  no  man  can  do  these 
miracles  that  Thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him ; 
yet,  if  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  why  art  Thou  here 
in  the  guise  of  a  poor  carpenter  ?  Why  doth  not 
the  very  earth  quake  beneath  Thy  feet  in  obeisance 
to  its  Creator  ?  Why  is  it  not  filled  with  angels 
ministering  to  Thee  ?  Why,  oh,  why,  cannot  I, 
who  have  read  much  and  studied  deeply,  under- 
stand ? ' ' 

Oh,  how  well  he  remembered  those  words,  uttered 
in  reply,  in  solemn,  tender  pity,  for  man's  want  of 
faith,  for  his  inability  of  accepting  that  which  he 
cannot  prove  by  human  argument,  or  by  nature's 
law.  It  was  as  though  the  voice  that  had  answered 
were  full  of  tears. 


54  LAZARUS. 

"  Verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man  be  born 
again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."  And, 
despairing  at  his  impotence  to  understand,  Nico- 
demus,  wrathful  at  himself,  at  his  own  helplessness, 
impatient  almost  with  the  Saviour  for  speaking  to 
him  in  parables;  bitterly,  cynically,  yet  half  grasp- 
ing Jesus'  meaning,  had  exclaimed:  "  How  can  a 
man  be  born  when  he  is  old ;  can  he  enter  the  second 
time  into  his  mother's  womb  and  be  born  ?  " 

Then  the  Divine  voice  had  rung  out  in  explana- 
tion of  His  marvellous  saying;  had  shown  him  that 
it  was  no  natural  birth  that  He  had  meant ;  for  all 
that,  a  birth  not  less  miraculous,  a  birth  of  water  and 
of  the  spirit,  without  which  no  man  could  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

Then,  wondering  and  despairing  still,  mad  with 
his  own  blindness,  as  a  blinded  animal  would  dash 
its  head  against  the  wall  in  its  impotence  and  want 
of  comprehension  at  what  had  happened  to  it,  so 
Nicodemus  had  wailed:  "Lord,  Lord,  how  can 
these  things  be  ?  I  cannot  grasp  them ;  they  are 
too  wonderful  for  me." 

At  which,  with  a  touch  almost  of  irony,  the  ap- 
pealing voice  had  answered:  "  Art  thou  a  master  of 
Israel  and  knowest  not  these  things  ?  " 

"  A  master  of  Israel  ";  yes,  he,  Nicodemus,  had 
set  himself  up  as  a  teacher  and  ruler  of  Israel,  he 
who  could  not  even  understand  the  teaching  of  this 
carpenter.  How  poor,  how  mean  he  had  felt  in  the 
presence  of  this  Man,  clad  in  coarse  attire  and  stand- 
ing barefoot  on  the  shore  of  the  lake !  No  moon 
had  illumined  the  dark  night  around,  and  the  gloom 
had  seemed  to  Nicodemus  an  apt  setting  to  the 


LAZARUS.  55 

blindness  of  his  brain  and  soul.  Yet  around  the 
Lord  there  had  seemed  to  hover  a  faint  shimmer  as 
of  glory  emanating  from  His  presence.  With  infin- 
ite tenderness  and  pity  He  had  gazed  on  the  Jewish 
rabbi,  so  mortified  and  abased ;  then,  sadly  and  with 
deep  persuasiveness,  the  voice  had  risen  once  more 
out  of  the  darkness  and  rolled  in  waves  across  the 
still  water  of  the  lake,  like  strains  of  floating  music : 

"  If  I  have  told  you  earthly  things  and  ye  believed 
not,  how  shall  ye  believe  if  I  tell  you  of  heavenly 
things  ?  " 

Then,  gazing  full  at  Nicodemus,  Jesus  had  pro- 
nounced words  which  neither  he  nor  any  other  man, 
having  once  heard  them,  could  forget:  "  God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  God  sent  not  his 
Son  into  the  world  to  condemn  the  world ;  but  that 
the  world  through  Him  might  be  saved.  He 
that  believeth  not  is  condemned  already,  because 
he  hath  not  believed  in  the  name  of  the  only  begot- 
ten Son  of  God.  And  this  is  the  condemnation, 
that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved 
darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  were 
evil.  For  every  one  that  doeth  evil  hateth  the  light, 
neither  cometh  to  the  light,  lest  his  deeds  should  be 
reproved.  But  he  that  doeth  truth  cometh  to  the 
light,  that  his  deeds  may  be  made  manifest,  that 
they  are  wrought  in  God." 

Each  word  had  stung  Nicodemus's  soul  as  with  a 
lash ;  he,  too,  had  loved  darkness.  Fear,  physical 
fear  of  derision  first  and  of  death  afterwards  had  kept 
him  from  openly  confessing  his  belief  in  Jesus  as  the 


56  LAZARUS. 

Son  of  God.  He,  too,  was  one  of  those  who  had 
feared  the  light,  who  had  stolen  stealthily  by  night 
to  glean  salvation  from  the  teachings  of  the  Naza- 
rene.  What  a  coward  he  had  felt  himself,  how  he 
had  despised  himself,  and  yet  he  had  muttered  to 
himself,  when  he  had  left  the  Lord:  "  If,  after  all, 
His  teachings  are  but  the  outpourings  of  a  madman 
or  a  wilful  deluder — if,  after  all,  He  is  a  blasphemer, 
calling  Himself  the  Son  of  God,  and  being  but  a 
poor  human  being  like  myself,  where,  then,  would 
the  honoured  Nicodemus,  the  mighty  ruler,  be,  if 
he  believed  Him?  Deprived  of  power  in  this  world, 
scoffed  at  and  derided,  perchance  doomed  even  to  a 
shameful  death.  That  would  be  his  portion  in  this 
world  ;  in  the  next  to  be  condemned  by  the  real  God 
for  having  believed  and  acted  on  the  ravings  of  a 
blasphemer." 

So,  in  the  darkness,  stumbling  at  every  step  of  the 
homeward  way,  sorrowful  and  puzzled  at  the  words 
of  salvation  that  still  rang  in  his  ears,  Nicodemus, 
the  great  ruler,  had  taken  the  road  outside  Jerusa- 
lem and  reached  his  home  by  one  of  the  terraces  that 
lay  beyond  the  walls,  lest  his  attendants  should  hear 
him  enter  at  that  hour  of  the  night.  Then,  once 
within  his  own  walls,  he  had  cast  himself  on  his  bed, 
seeking  in  vain  for  sleep,  and  starting  up  at  almost 
every  watch  of  the  night,  to  call  out  in  mental 
agony,  "  Truly,  truly,  this  is  the  Son  of  God." 

And  now  just  when  the  germs  of  belief  seemed 
about  to  start  into  being  in  his  heart,  just  when 
miracle  after  miracle  was  striking  terror  to  his  soul, 
in  the  intensity  of  its  wonder,  and  just  when  the 
words  of  the  Nazarene,  with  their  sad  persuasiveness 


LAZARUS.  57 

and  their  clear,  truthful  intonations,  were  beginning 
to  unfold  to  his  heart  what  can  only  be  realised 
through  revelation,  but  never  evolved  from  man's 
philosophy;  just  when  his  flitting  thoughts  and 
wavering  heart  seemed  to  be  catching  hold  of  truths 
that  had  seemed  impossibilities  before ;  just  at  this 
moment  Jesus  appeared  to  have  lost  the  power  of 
working  miracles.  How  easy  it  would  have  been, 
argued  this  human  brain,  to  prove  to  the  world  that 
He  was  all  that  He  professed  Himself!  One  little 
word,  even  from  a  distance,  if  all  was  true  that  the 
disciples  said,  would  have  sufficed.  The  Jews  them- 
selves were  looking  for  this  miracle,  the  chief  priests 
dreading  it.  With  the  death  of  Lazarus  seemed 
buried  the  hopes  of  all  the  believing  world.  His 
resurrection  would  be  the  death  warrant  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth.  How  often  already  had  Caiaphas 
foretold  His  death,  either  through  the  gift  of  proph- 
ecy, or  because,  as  High  Priest,  he  knew  that  he 
himself  would  bring  about  the  doom  of  Him  who 
drew  so  many  to  Him!  There  was  no  room  for 
Caiaphas,  no  room  for  any  High  Priest,  either  if 
Jesus  were  the  Son  of  God,  or,  if  not  being  so,  the 
people  believed  in  and  followed  Him  as  such. 

Already  the  attitude  of  the  Jewish  people  was  be- 
coming dangerous.  They  were  divided  into  many 
parties,  some  calling  Jesus  a  prophet,  others  per- 
suaded that  He  was  the  Christ  indeed,  and  selling 
all  they  had  to  follow  Him.  Already  some  of  the 
leading  rabbis  had  issued  orders  that  He  was  to  be 
captured  and  brought  before  them;  but  the  order 
had  been  but  a  half-hearted  one,  and  the  soldiers 
who  were  sent  to  execute  it  knew  the  spirit  of  the 


$8  LAZARUS. 

populace  so  well,  that  they  feared  them  more,  if 
they  should  lay  hands  on  Christ,  than  the  rulers,  if 
they  should  fail  to  take  Him.  Indeed,  although 
they  did  not  dare  speak  openly  about  it,  yet  it 
was  a  matter  of  great  wonder  that  the  preaching  of 
Jesus  was  allowed. 

"  So  He  speaketh  boldly,  and  they  say  nothing  to 
Him.  Do  the  rulers  know  indeed  that  this  is  the 
very  Christ  ?  "  It  was  rumoured  in  Jerusalem  that 
both  Caiaphas  and  Pontius  Pilate  believed  in  the 
Nazarene,  both  as  the  Son  of  God  and  as  the  King 
of  the  Jews ;  or,  at  all  events,  that  they  did  not  dare 
deny  it.  It  became  a  matter  of  superstition  amongst 
the  poorer  people  that  he  who  should  first  lay  hands 
on  Him  would  die  a  terrible  death.  This  fear  com- 
municated itself  to  the  very  soldiers  who  were  sent 
out  to  fetch  Him.  To  the  question:  "  Why  have 
ye  not  brought  Him  ?  "  they  would  answer:  "  Never 
man  spake  like  this  Man."  Yet  all  the  Pharisees 
durst  answer  was:  "  Are  ye  also  deceived  ?  Have 
any  of  the  rulers  of  the  Pharisees  believed  on  Him  ? 
but  this  people,  who  knoweth  not  the  law,  are  cursed, 
and  they  alone  believe." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

NO  wonder,  then,  that  a  party  shrinking  beneath 
the  terror  lest  power  and  affluence  should  de- 
part from  them  for  ever,  should  rejoice  at  the  turn 
events  had  taken.  The  expected  miracle  of  Laz- 
arus's  resurrection  had  not  occurred.  The  Naza- 
rene's  want  of  sympathy,  or,  perhaps,  His  fear  of 
the  threats  to  take  His  life,  which  was  believed  to 
be  the  cause  of  His  not  returning  to  the  house  of  the 
sorrowing  sisters,  had  changed  for  the  moment  the 
current  of  popular  favour.  Several  lukewarm  be- 
lievers fell  back  into  the  ranks  of  the  sceptical,  while 
others,  like  Nicodemus,  struggled  hard  to  believe 
that  there  was  some  good  reason  for  Jesus'  apparent 
indifference  to  the  grief  of  those  He  was  known  to 
have  loved  so  well.  Of  course,  the  base  attributed 
it  to  the  most  cowardly  of  all  motives,  fear.  It 
seemed  clear  enough  to  Caiaphas  that  Jesus,  know- 
ing that  the  miracle  was  expected,  would  be  con- 
scious that  the  home  of  Mary  and  Martha  would  be 
a  likely  place  for  His  capture.  This  was  what  Caia- 
phas tried  to  persuade  himself  to  believe ;  yet  it  did 
not  coincide  with  the  fearless  attitude  of  the  Christ 
till  then,  nor  with  the  fearlessness  of  His  words.  In 
any  case,  this  was  an  opportunity  which,  as  a  poli- 
tician and  a  ruler  of  men,  he  must  take  advantage  of. 
It  was  such  an  one  as,  perhaps,  he  would  never 

59 


60  LAZARUS. 

have  again.  Now  the  Nazarene  must  be  put  an  end 
to;  His  seditious  preaching  hushed  for  ever;  His 
bold  denouncing  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  scribes 
avenged.  But  it  would  be  a  difficult  task,  he  knew. 
Pontius  Pilate  was  under  the  influence  of  his  wife, 
who,  it  was  known,  favoured  the  belief  in  the  Naza- 
rene, if  not  as  the  Son  of  God,  at  least  as  a  great 
prophet  and  a  good  man  come  from  God.  Pilate 
was  difficult  to  approach  upon  the  subject.  Then 
about  Nicodemus,  one  of  the  most  powerful  rulers 
of  the  Synagogue,  there  were  strange  rumours. 
How  could  he,  Caiaphas,  get  at  him  by  stealth  ? 
To  make  use  of  Nicodemus  himself,  nay  more,  to 
approach  the  Nazarene,  unseen,  and  to  hear  His 
blasphemous  words,  and  out  of  His  own  mouth  con- 
vict Him,  making  Nicodemus  a  party  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  this  Man  who  dared  to  set  Himself  up  in 
defiance  of  the  High  Priest;  oh,  it  would  be  a  mas- 
ter-stroke, one  that  his  base,  intriguing  soul  would 
glory  in.  It  whetted  his  thirst  for  vengeance,  while, 
at  the  same  time,  it  intoxicated  him  to  foresee  that 
proud  soul  abased,  that  majestic  presence  on  the 
cross,  blood  flowing  from  the  fair  side,  and  all  the 
humiliations  of  an  ignominious  death  heaped  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  Man  whom  even  Caiaphas,  deep 
down  in  his  heart,  admired,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
feared  Him  as  a  supernatural  being.  For  had  He 
not  held  His  own,  unsupported  either  by  wealth  or 
position,  by  party  or  by  followers  ?  How  could 
Caiaphas  have  played  that  part  ?  No,  the  wily  High 
Priest  knew  full  well  that  his  own  position  was  main- 
tained only  by  his  arrogance,  and  that  it  was  by  the 
fear  of  himself  he  had  built  up  his  successes  on  the 


LAZARUS.  6 1 

ignorance  of  a  down-trodden  race ;  that,  were  he  but 
a  lowly  carpenter,  with  all  the  world's  powers  and 
dignitaries  against  him ;  did  he  but  loosen  the  reins 
of  despotism  for  one  moment,  or,  by  preaching  what 
he  knew  to  be  the  truth,  open  out  the  path  of  liberty 
— that  of  the  spirit,  as  opposed  to  the  letter  of  the 
law, — he,  Caiaphas,  before  whom  all  men  now  bowed, 
would  be  hurled  both  morally  and  physically  from 
his  high  place  and  become  of  no  account.  He  knew 
he  would  be  powerless  to  emulate  the  Nazarene  he 
affected  to  despise,  the  carpenter  who  conquered 
souls  by  His  sublime  meekness,  His  unshrinking 
truth,  and  His  awful  purity. 

Yes,  side  by  side  with  his  dread  lest  the  Jewish 
people  should  escape  him ;  side  by  side  with  his 
hatred  of  the  Nazarene,  and  fear  of  the  possible 
overthrow  of  his  power  and  place,  were  a  sullen  jeal- 
ousy and  an  envious  rage,  that  one  by  birth  so  meek 
and  lowly,  should  be  so  much  the  greater  man  than 
was  he,  Caiaphas.  How  he  hated,  Pontius  Pilate, 
too,  and  Claudia,  his  proud,  domineering  wife! 
How,  of  late,  she  had  set  him  at  defiance !  What  a 
slap  in  the  face  it  would  be  to  Pontius  Pilate  should 
he  be  forced  to  condemn  the  Nazarene  to  death ! 

Alone  in  his  chamber,  this  priest,  who  had  been 
ordained  to  bring  true  religion  and  peace  to  the 
Jewish  people,  revolved  in  his  mind  how  he  should 
destroy  this  Man  who  stood,  in  the  grandeur  of  His 
simplicity,  between  him  and  power.  To  acknow- 
ledge Him  as  the  Son  of  God  were  to  destroy 
the  power,  not  only  of  Caiaphas,  but  of  all  the  high 
priests  and  Pharisees  forever.  For  one  moment 
(for  Caiaphas  was  not  without  intelligence  enough  to 


62  LAZARUS. 

look  at  both  sides  of  the  question),  he  had  asked 
himself  what  would  be  the  result  should  he  himself 
recognise  the  power  of  the  Christ  and  join  the  ranks 
of  the  believers.  No  man  versed  in  the  prophets, 
as  Caiaphas  was,  could  well  disbelieve  that,  even  if 
the  Nazarene  were  not  the  Christ  Himself,  He  was 
an  emissary  from  heaven  whose  coming  had  been 
predicted.  Absently,  as  if  to  persuade  himself  for 
one  moment,  Caiaphas  turned  the  pages  of  the  book 
of  the  prophets  that  lay  close  to  his  elbow.  He 
almost  started  at  the  words  that  seemed  to  give  the 
answer  to  his  unuttered  question,  for  he  was  a  super- 
stitious man:  "  Who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and 
to  whom  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord  revealed  ?  He  is 
despised  and  rejected  of  men :  a  man  of  sorrows  and 
acquainted  with  grief:  and  we  hid  as  it  were  our 
faces  from  Him ;  He  was  despised,  and  we  esteemed 
Him  not." 

Caiaphas  with  breathless  interest  re-read  the  words 
He  had  so  often  read  before.  The  stillness  outside, 
the  gloom  within,  the  strange  similitude  of  the  pict- 
ure drawn  by  Isaiah  to  the  person  of  the  Nazarene ; 
for  one  brief  moment  all  this  impressed  the  man, 
who  was  shrewd  enough  to  understand  the  prophecy, 
yet  not  to  recognise  the  Saviour  it  foretold.  Chap- 
ter after  chapter  he  devoured  in  the  hope  that  he 
would,  at  last,  light  on  some  passage  that  would 
justify  the  condemnation  of  the  Man  who  called 
Himself  the  Christ,  and  was  not;  but  the  prophet 
was  against  him.  Again  his  eyes  fell  on  the  book, 
and  they  lighted  on  the  words:  "  Seek  ye  the  Lord, 
while  He  may  be  found,  call  ye  upon  Him  while  He 
is  near." 


LAZARUS.  63 

Caiaphas  pushed  the  book  impatiently  away  from 
him,  and  paced  the  room  with  rapid  strides.  The 
long  sleeves  of  his  robe  waved  backwards  and  for- 
wards in  the  air,  and  now  and  then  he  clutched  at 
them  impatiently,  as  if  their  very  stirring  added  to 
his  irritation.  What  if,  after  all,  this  Nazarene  were 
the  Christ,  and  he,  Caiaphas,  should  condemn  Him 
to  a  felon's  death  ?  Surely  no  eternal  punishment 
would  be  great  enough  for  such  an  one ;  and  for  an 
instant  the  great  Caiaphas  trembled.  Then  he 
crossed  the  room  and  leaned  on  the  window-sill,  and 
looked  out  on  the  silent  night.  All  was  dark  and 
still;  a  few  stars  only  gave  just  sufficient  light  to 
bring  out  in  vague  relief  the  outline  of  the  white 
walls  of  the  houses  of  Jerusalem. 

Presently  he  started  at  steps  he  heard  that  passed 
beneath  the  window.  He  leaned  forward,  and  in 
clear  tones  called  out:  "  Watchman,  what  of  the 
night  ?  "  but  his  voice  had  not  carried  far  enough, 
and  instead  of  making  answer,  the  watchman,  mind- 
ful, perhaps,  that  he  was  outside  the  house  of  Caia- 
phas the  High  Priest,  sang  out  in  a  clear,  deep  voice: 
"Break  forth  into  joy,  sing  together,  ye  waste 
places  of  Jerusalem,  for  the  Lord  hath  comforted 
His  people,  He  hath  redeemed  Jerusalem." 

Caiaphas  drew  back.  "  He  too,"  he  muttered  to 
himself.  "  Surely  the  world  hath  gone  mad  about 
this  one  Man ;  but  it  shall  not  be  said  that  Caiaphas 
was  thus  led  hither  and  thither,  swayed  by  the  voice 
of  an  ignorant  people,  lashed  into  fanaticism  by  the 
words  of  an  impostor,  who  tries  to  cajole  them  by 
honeyed  words  and  feigned  humility.  No,  Caiaphas 
the  High  Priest  shall  still  retain  his  power,  and  if  this 


64  LAZARUS. 

Man  is  after  all  the  Christ  "  — here  he  broke  off  into 
a  horrible,  unmirthful  laugh — "  if  Caiaphas  is  wrong 
then  let  His  blood  be  upon  me  and  upon  my  house, 
and  let  me  be  damned  for  ever  and  ever.  Yes,  I 
would  barter  even  my  soul,  rather  than  let  that 
proud  Claudia  and  that  self-sufficient,  prating  Roman 
fool,  the  Procurator,  triumph  over  me.  I  have  borne 
enough;  the  Nazarene  shall  die,  and  that  speedily." 
And,  even  ere  these  words  had  passed  his  lips,  a 
flash  of  summer  lightning  illumed  the  room,  and,  to 
the  overwrought  brain  of  Caiaphas,  it  seemed  as  if, 
within  that  light,  the  figure  of  the  Nazarene,  in 
dazzling  white,  appeared  to  him ;  and  the  sad, 
speaking  eyes  were  turned  on  him  reproachfully, 
and  a  voice,  whose  music  haunted  him  till  his  dying 
day,  in  gentle  accents  murmured :  '  Why  go  ye 
about  to  kill  Me  ?  " 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

PALE  dawn  stole  in  at  the  window  of  Rebekah's 
chamber  and  found  her  sleeping  still  a  restless, 
feverish  sleep  that  had  overtaken  her  towards  early 
morn.  The  beautiful  white  arms  lay  motionless 
outside  the  coverlet.  The  long  lashes  touched  lov- 
ingly her  pale  sad  cheeks,  as  though  they  would 
caress  them. 

Silently  her  maidens  entered  and,  with  noiseless 
footsteps,  moved  about  the  room.  Then  one  sat  by 
her  side  and  watched  her  while  day  crept  nearer  and 
nearer,  big  with  the  tidings  that  would  so  distress 
her. 

'T  will  be  a  sorrowful  awakening,"  said  one  to 
her  companion. 

"  Methinks  I  have  no  strength  to  tell  her  the  sad 
news,"  rejoined  the  other.  But  even  their  light 
whispering  had  stirred  the  girl,  whose  whole  being 
was  indeed  awake  and  alive  with  uncertainty  and 
with  dread. 

She  started  up  from  her  couch  into  a  sitting 
posture. 

'  What  news  have  ye  of  Lazarus  ?  "  she  cried,  her 
voice  framing  the  words  her  brain,  as  yet,  had  scarce 
conceived. 

The  maidens  looked  from  one  to  the  other  and  an- 
swered not ;  so,  with  a  furious  look  and  a  voice  of 
s  65 


66  LAZARUS. 

thunder,  Rebekah  burst  out  with:  "  Speak,  I  com- 
mand ye.  Have  ye  then  not  sent  a  messenger  to 
Bethany  ? ' ' 

"  Lazarus  is  dead,"  said  one. 

"  He  died  ere  dawn,"  the  other  added. 

"  Oh,  oh!  "  'T  was  a  groan  and  shriek  and  bitter, 
bitter  cry  that  rent  her  very  heart ;  and  the  proud 
Rebekah  buried  her  face  in  the  pillow  and  moaned 
and  sobbed  continuously,  "  Lazarus,  Lazarus!  " 

So  this  was  the  end  ;  the  end  of  her  fond  delusion 
that,  while  Lazarus  lived,  by  the  power  of  her  strong 
will  he  might  still  be  hers.  The  end  of  life,  the  end 
of  vengeance.  All  her  plotting  and  scheming  had 
come  to  naught.  Death  had  baffled  her.  Lazarus 
had  escaped  her.  Oh,  't  was  the  Nazarene  who  had 
wrenched  him  from  her  by  some  trickery. 

"  For  hatred  of  my  father  hath  He  done  this 
thing,"  she  cried.  "  But,  perchance  he  is  not  dead, 
and  they  have  stolen  him  away,  that  they  might  seem 
to  bring  him  back  to  life.  He  is  not  dead,  he  is  not 
dead,"  she  moaned  in  frenzied  accents. 

"  Yea,  the  messenger  did  see  him  on  his  couch,  and 
many  stood  around  and  wept,"  said  one;  "  but  thou 
shouldst  not  mourn,  for  this  man  loved  thee  not ;  he 
was  altogether  gone  mad  after  this  Nazarene." 

"  He  loved  me  not,  but  I  loved  him,"  replied 
Rebekah;  "and  now  I  need  do  naught  but  die,  for 
wherefore  shall  I  live." 

There  are  other  rulers,  fairer  still,"  the  maidens 
answered  her,  "  and  wealthier,  and  who  do  love 
thee." 

"  I  tell  thee  I  cannot  live  if  Lazarus  be  dead,"  she 
cried,  and  beat  her  silken  cushions  in  her  despair. 


LAZARUS.  67 

"  They  say  the  Nazarene  will  yet  bring  him  back 
to  life,"  said  one  maiden,  at  her  wits'  ends  how  to 
comfort  the  impetuous  Rebekah  in  her  grief. 

Rebekah  raised  her  head  and  gazed  at  them  with 
eyes  all  red  and  swollen  beyond  recognition. 

"  What  say  ye  ?" 

"  They  say  the  Nazarene  hath  the  power  even  to 
raise  the  dead,"  replied  the  maiden;  "  and  that  He 
will  raise  up  Lazarus,  for  He  greatly  loved  him." 

"  Thinkest  thou  this  ?  "  said  Rebekah,  sitting  up, 
for  the  moment  oblivious  of  her  grief. 

"  We  cannot  tell,  but 't  is  so  rumoured  among  the 
multitude." 

"  If  Lazarus  be  raised,  then  I,  too,  will  believe," 
she  muttered;  "but  I  fear  me  it  is  not  to  be.  No, 
death  hath  been  stronger  than  Cataphas's  daughter. 
There  are  yet  some  things  I  understand  not,  though 
for  a  woman  I  have  learned  overmuch ;  one  is,  why 
Lazarus  loved  me  not,  the  other,  what  is  death  ?  If 
the  Nazarene  doth  conquer  death,  then  surely  is  He, 
as  't  is  said  He  claimeth  to  be,  the  Son  of  God.  But  I 
must  know  for  sure  that  Lazarus  is  dead ;  for  in  these 
days  none  speaketh  the  truth,  and  ye  do  but  give 
me  rumours,  that  themselves  were  gossip  retailed 
from  mouth  to  mouth  by  gabbling  servants ;  I  would 
see,  therefore,  for  myself  whether  Lazarus  is  dead. 
Bring  hither  my  cloak,  and  habit  me,  that  I  may  go  to 
Bethany ;  order  my  mule  to  be  in  readiness  at  once." 

It  was  indeed  an  unexpected  guest  that  forced  her 
way  through  the  gates  into  the  very  room  where 
Lazarus  lay,  oblivious  of  the  presence  of  the  inquir- 
ing crowd.  Various  nationalities  and  creeds  were 
represented  there,  haters  of  the  Pharisees  and  open 


68  LAZARUS. 

enemies  of  her  father.  She  cast  herself  on  her  knees 
beside  the  bed  and  seized  his  hand  in  hers. 

"  Dead!  dead!"  she  wailed,  "  verily  and  truly 
dead.  'T  is  no  jugglery  nor  fooling.  He  is  dead 
indeed."  Then  excitedly  she  turned  to  the  assem- 
bled crowd.  '  Where,  then,  is  this  wonder-working 
Nazarene,  this  performer  of  miracles  ?"  she  asked 
scornfully,  trying  to  disguise  by  haughty  and  dis- 
dainful tone  the  burning  excitement  she  felt  within. 
'  Why  is  He  not  here  ?  Where  is  the  friendship 
that  hath  been  spoken  of  so  much,  if  He  cometh  not 
to  the  sick-bed  of  His  friend  ?  Go  fetch  Him,  one  of 
you.  Tell  Him  that  Caiaphas's  daughter  doth  com- 
mand His  presence,  and  would  witness  a  miracle." 
She  talked  excitedly,  almost  madly;  but  none 
stirred,  only  looked  at  her  in  wonder.  "  Can  ye  not 
move  ?  "  she  shrieked.  "  Will  none  obey  my  bid- 
ding ?  Or  do  ye  know  that  He,  too,  cannot  con- 
quer death  ?  That  He  is  no  Christ,  but  only  some 
poor,  juggling  carpenter,  that  doth  bewitch  the  peo- 
ple ?"  Then  Martha,  fearing  a  disturbance,  went 
up  to  the  girl  and  drew  her  gently  away. 

"  Noble  maiden,"  she  said  softly,  "  didst  thou 
then  love  Lazarus,  that  his  death  doth  grieve  thee 
so  ?" 

All  Rebekah's  haughtiness  returned  at  the  direct- 
ness of  this  question. 

"  Who  art  thou,  woman,  that  dost  presume  to 
question  me  ?  What  is  it  to  thee  whether  I  loved 
Lazarus  or  not  ?  " 

"To  me  't  is  very  much,"  said  Martha,  with  a 
gentle  impressiveness  that  was  not  without  effect 
upon  Rebekah;  "  for  all  who  loved  Lazarus  I  love." 


LAZARUS.  69 

For  one  instant,  the  proud  daughter  of  Caiaphas 
felt  constrained  to  open  her  heart  to  this  gentle  wo- 
man, who  spoke  and  looked  like  Lazarus. 

"  Yea,  I  did  love  Lazarus,  yet  he  loved  not  me," 
she  answered  scornfully;  "  but  I  would  have  him 
live,  because  I  cannot  live  if  he  be  dead." 

"  He  will  rise  again,"  said  Martha. 

"What  meanest  thou  ? "  inquired  Rebekah; 
"  that  he  will  rise  now,  or  in  the  Judgment  Day  ? 
If  thou  sayest  now,  I  could  understand  thee;  but 
hereafter — that  is  too  far  off  a  thing  for  my  vain 
mind  to  grasp." 

"  Methinks  the  Lord  will  raise  him  yet,"  said 
Martha,  musingly;  "  but  whether  now,  or  at  the 
Resurrection  Day,  my  brother  will  rise  again." 

"  But  canst  not  send  for  this  Nazarene  ?  Ye  speak 
of  all  His  power  and  love,  and  yet,  when  death  doth 
carry  off  your  brother,  ye  do  stand  gaping  and  wail- 
ing and  doing  nothing." 

She  stamped  her  foot  impatiently.  "  Will  none 
stir  ?  "  she  cried  again. 

"  Peace,  hush  thee,  maiden,"  answered  Martha, 
in  a  tone  half  gentle,  half  authoritative.  "  We  have 
sent  many  times,  and  He  cometh  not.  We  sent 
when  he  was  sick,  and  now  we  have  sent  to  tell  Him 
he  is  dead,  and,  if  He  cometh  not,  't  is  that  He  hath 
good  reason  or  His  hour  is  not  yet  come." 

A  look  of  mingled  frenzy  and  despair  stole  over 
the  features  of  Rebekah. 

He  is  afraid  to  come,"    she    said  with  scorn; 
"  for  He  knoweth  that  He  cannot  raise  the  dead." 

Then,  overcome  with  excitement  and  fatigue,  the 
proud  soul  unbent,  and  casting  herself  by  the  bed, 


70  LAZARUS. 

whereon  lay  Lazarus,  she  sobbed  as  though  her  heart 
would  break. 

"  We  will  leave  her  to  weep  awhile,"  said  Martha, 
making  a  sign  to  all  in  the  room  to  leave.  Then  the 
girl,  whose  prayers  till  now  had  been  but  empty 
words,  poured  out  her  aching  heart  to  the  dead 
body  of  the  man  she  loved. 

"  O  Lazarus,  wherefore  didst  thou  leave  me 
thus  ?  Where  is  now  thy  scorn  and  pride  ?  Wilt 
thou  still  have  none  of  me,  even  in  death  ?  for  in 
the  silent  tomb  I  would  lie  near  thee,  if  thou  wouldst, 
so  I  might  be  with  thee.  O  Lazarus,  speak ;  tell  me 
where  I  shall  meet  with  thee  again ;  whether  there  is 
Eternal  Life,  and  what  it  is ;  and  how  to  find  thy 
God,  if  God  there  is." 

Long  the  maiden  mourned  and  wept.  At  last,  a 
gentle  voice  behind  her  murmured :  "  He  will  surely 
rise  again." 

Rebekah  lifted  her  head.  "  Ye  do  all  cry  that  he 
will  rise  again.  Yet  He  cometh  not  who,  ye  say, 
can  cause  it.  What  manner  of  friend  is  this  who 
hasteneth  not  to  raise,  if  raise  He  can  ?  " 

Then,  drawing  her  cloak  around  her  and  casting 
one  long,  despairing  look  at  the  dead  body  of  Laz- 
arus, she  strode  from  the  house,  her  maidens  follow- 
ing ;  and  as  she  passed  between  the  throng  they  all 
fell  back  and  did  obeisance  to  the  daughter  of  the 
dreaded  Caiaphas. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

dawning  of  a  Syrian  day  was  stealing  over 
1  Jerusalem ;  dark  clouds  hung  in  thick,  woolly 
masses  across  the  sky.  The  corn,  still  green  by  day- 
light, stood  colourless  and  grey,  awaiting  the  glori- 
ous revivifying  ardour  of  the  sun.  Only  a  pale 
golden  haze  over  the  hills  beyond — approaching  like 
the  feet  of  swift  messengers  of  glad  tidings,  or  of 
angels  who  have  been  present  in  the  night — gave 
promise  of  day ;  as  yet,  it  was  but  a  watch-signal  of 
the  coming  morning.  The  air  was  still  cool,  the 
birds  had  not  yet  begun  to  twitter  in  their  nests ; 
there  was  a  hush,  as  though  nature  were  listening  to 
the  farewell  of  night,  or,  awe-struck,  to  the  com- 
mands of  God,  ere  this  day  dawned  that  was  teem- 
ing with  such  import  to  individuals,  to  nations,  to 
the  whole  world,  though  it  knew  it  not.  It  was  as 
if  the  word  of  God  were  being  uttered  behind  the 
dark  veil  of  those  massive  clouds:  "  Arise,  shine,  for 
thy  Light  is  come  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen 
upon  thee. " 

But  as  yet  all  was  darkness  still,  and  the  city  of 
Jerusalem  slept,  wrapt  in  that  stagnation  of  soul  and 
body,  that  apathy  in  which  it  had  been  enveloped 
for  so  many  years;  that  folding  of  the  hands  to 
sleep,  that  paralysis  of  the  brain,  that  had  shut  out 
from  the  world  (as  the  blindness  of  the  eye  shutteth 

71 


72  LAZARUS. 

out  God's  light)  the  many  revelations  that  had  been 
made  to  it,  and  kept  back  the  knowledge  of  the  ex- 
traordinary events  that  from  time  to  time  had  there 
occurred. 

If  a  God  were  to  be  born  to  us  to-day,  and  to  live 
and  die  amongst  us,  how  many  would  know  Him 
for  a  God  ?  So  the  earth  slept  while  Jesus  trod  it, 
as  it  slept  before  His  advent,  as  it  has  slept  often 
since,  forgetful  that  salvation  was  walking  along  the 
highway,  powerless  to  cry  out,  "  Lord,  save  me." 
And  all  the  while,  tear-worn,  dusty,  and  travel- 
stained,  the  Eternal  One  was  passing  by  and  on, 
through  the  gates  of  death,  and  back  within  the 
portals  of  eternity. 

But  day  was  now  stealing  across  the  sky,  ripping 
up  right  and  left,  backwards  and  forwards,  the  dark 
clouds,  seaming  the  heavens  with  shafts  of  light, 
slashing  each  cloud  with  radiancy,  unfolding  one  by 
one  the  glories  of  morning;  till  at  last  the  sun,  like 
a  golden  ball  hurled  on  earth  by  a  boisterous  god, 
or  leaping  like  a  giant  upon  the  world,  burst  forth 
with  light  and  warmth,  a  messenger,  though  that 
world  knew  it  not. 

"  Lift  up  thine  eyes,  look  round  about  and  see," 
it  said;  but  the  world  slept,  and  Jerusalem  slept, 
oblivious  that  that  day  the  God  of  Eternity  would 
weep. 

While  flushing  day  crept  quickly  across  the  sky, 
a  woman  left  the  house  of  Lazarus  to  take  the  road 
from  Bethany  to  Jerusalem.  Weary  as  she  was  with 
a  night  of  watching,  the  cool  air  seemed  to  revive 
her  scorching  eyelids,  yet  she  hesitated.  Outside 
her  house  she  cast  her  eyes  across  the  glorious  hori- 


LAZARUS.  73 

zon,  half  doubtful ;  while  from  within  could  be  heard 
the  faint  murmur  of  wailing  from  many  voices. 

'  The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is  ended,  and 
we  are  not  saved.  Woe  is  me  for  my  hurt!  My 
wound  is  grievous :  but  I  said,  Truly  this  is  a  grief, 
and  I  must  bear  it.  There  is  none  to  stretch  forth 
my  tent  any  more,  and  to  set  up  my  curtains." 

The  voices  wailed  alternately;  then  suddenly  a 
woman's  tuneful  voice  sang  out:  "  Righteous  art 
Thou,  O  Lord,  when  I  plead  with  Thee.  How  long 
shall  we  mourn  ?  Yea,  blessed  is  the  man  that  trust- 
eth  in  the  Lord  and  whose  hope  the  Lord  is." 

Mary,  Mary!  "  The  voice  was  low  but  stern. 
The  song  ceased  and  a  beautiful  woman  with  long, 
flowing  hair,  which,  in  the  sun,  had  a  reddish  tinge 
turned  suddenly ;  then  rose  from  her  knees  and  came 
in  meek  obedience  to  her  sister. 

'  Wilt  thou  not  then  come  with  me  to  entreat  the 
Lord  ?  Yet  thou  sayest  that  He  can  restore  him 
even  now.  If  we  wait  till  they  have  laid  him  in  the 
grave  it  will  be  too  late."  The  tone  of  the  elder 
woman  was  almost  hasty. 

"  My  sister,  I  need  not  to  leave  his  side  to  entreat 
my  Lord.  Hath  not  Nicodemus  taken  Him  the 
news  of  our  brother's  sickness  ?  Had  He  wished  to 
restore  him,  He  could  have  done  so  from  Jerusalem. 
The  city  is  but  fifteen  furlongs  off.  He  would  have 
sent  over  one  of  the  twelve  with  the  message  of  life, 
or  He  would  have  willed  him  to  live  from  a  distance 
and  he  would  have  lived.  Lazarus  is  dead,  but  were 
he  living,  he  would  not  wish  to  live  if  his  Lord  did 
not  so  will  it ;  and,  except  to  our  mortal  eyes,  he  is 
not  dead,  for  thou  knowest  that  our  Lord  hath  said 


74  LAZARUS. 

that  those  who  believe  on  Him  shall  never  die.  Oh, 
Martha,  trouble  not  thyself,  but  kneel  with  us  and 
pray." 

'  What  should  I  pray  for  now,  seeing  that  he  is 
dead  ?"  replied  Martha  almost  impatiently.  Then, 
with  a  sudden  resolve,  she  raised  her  head,  and, 
drawing  her  cloak  around  her,  stepped  out  into  the 
cool  morning  air,  and  hurried  down  the  road  to 
Jerusalem. 

Many  were  the  thoughts  revolving  in  her  brain 
when  she  walked  forth,  a  brave,  strong-minded  wo- 
man, to  entreat  the  Lord,  whom  she  failed  to  under- 
stand. Of  an  energetic,  indomitable  spirit,  full  of 
self-reliance,  she  had  a  horror  alike  of  mystification 
and  of  sentiment,  with  a  full  belief  in  the  power  of 
coercing  events.  To  sit  down  and  wait  for  the  work- 
ings of  God  to  take  effect  would  have  been  beyond 
her.  She  was  always  fretting  lest  she  had  left  some 
machinating  stone  unturned.  She  was  imbued  with 
the  idea  that  there  was  power  in  a  multitude  of 
prayers,  and  that  one  moment's  inaction  would  reap 
its  reward  of  infruition.  She  had  been  a  careful 
housewife,  and  much  responsibility  had  devolved  on 
her,  for  the  three  had  been  left  without  a  mother  at 
an  early  age.  She,  Martha,  had  had  to  be  mother  and 
father  to  the  two  younger  ones,  Lazarus  and  Mary. 
This  had  given  her  an  irritability  of  temperament 
and  a  certain  domineering  manner  which,  to  her 
credit  be  it  said,  she  strove  hard  to  master. 

For  a  long  time  she  had  shut  ears  and  heart 
against  the  strange  rumours  that  were  bruited 
abroad  respecting  Jesus  of  Nazareth ;  she  had  dis- 
believed the  reports  about  His  birth  and  had  even 


LAZARUS.  75 

spoken  disparagingly  of  His  mother.  She  had 
looked  upon  Joseph  of  Nazareth  with  scorn.  Caia- 
phas,  too,  who  was  a  relative  of  theirs  and  now  High 
Priest,  would  never  definitely  speak  of  Jesus. 

But  they  were  strange  times  in  which  the  Jews 
lived  then.  John  the  Baptist  had  greatly  stirred  the 
Jewish  world,  and  indeed  the  Roman  and  the  Syrian 
world  as  well,  by  preaching  a  gospel  of  repentance 
and  baptism,  and  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  Saddu- 
cees  had  gone  over  to  his  doctrines;  and  yet  when 
He  had  been  baptised  by  John,  it  seemed  difficult  to 
believe  that  Jesus  could  be  greater  than  he,  though 
the  Baptist  had  himself  averred  it. 

'  Thinkest  thou,  Lazarus,  that  the  Son  of  God 
would  be  baptised  of  a  wild  fanatic  such  as  John  ? 
For  that  John  is  mad  is  common  knowledge,  and 
that  he  hath  bewitched  the  people." 

Thus  Martha  spoke.  But  this  had  been  before 
the  family  at  Bethany  had  been  honoured  by  the 
presence  of  the  Messiah  under  their  own  roof. 
Since  then,  Lazarus  had  followed  the  Lord,  followed 
as  a  hungry  man  wanders  till  he  finds  bread.  By 
the  Sea  of  Galilee,  into  the  mountains  where  Christ 
prayed  and  preached,  Lazarus  had  followed ;  fol- 
lowed, thirsting  for  the  stream  of  truth  that  flowed 
on  to  life.  What  strange  new  doctrines  were  these 
to  one  who  had  been  brought  up  in  the  old  Hebrew 
law,  fed  on  the  vengeful  tenets  of  the  Psalms!  "An 
eye  for  an  eye,  a  tooth  for  a  tooth, ' '  had  been  the 
old  religion.  "  Resist  not  evil,  but  whosoever  shall 
smite  thee  on  thy  right  cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other 
also,"  was  the  new.  And,  "  Give  to  him  that  ask- 
eth  thee,  and  from  him  that  would  borrow  of  thee 


76  LAZARUS. 

turn  them  not  away!  "  Love,  blessing,  forgiveness, 
what  strange  new  doctrine  was  this  ?  It  never  be- 
fore had  been  so  seen  in  Israel.  No  wonder  that  a 
keen  observer,  a  studious,  spiritual-minded  man,  like 
Lazarus,  should  feel  mystified  and  puzzled,  yet  in- 
spired by  doctrines  at  once  so  pathetic  and  so  power- 
ful. With  Mary  he  could  talk  of  all  these  things  ; 
she  had  always  been  of  a  gentle,  sympathetic  spirit, 
ardent  and  enthusiastic  in  her  worship  and  affections, 
deeply  religious,  and  yet  with  a  strain  of  mysticism 
that  permitted  the  seemingly  impossible  to  find  a 
place  in  her  too  willing  heart. 

She,  too,  to  Martha's  dismay,  had  often  joined 
the  crowds  that  followed  Jesus  of  Nazareth  along 
the  roadside,  listening  to  His  incomparable  sermons, 
witnessing  miracle  after  miracle;  wonders  that  filled 
the  priests  with  dismay  and  doubt,  and  awed  the 
Tetrarch,  yet  failed  to  persuade  the  multitude  that 
He  was  the  living  God. 

Often  and  often  she  had  tried  to  get  Martha  to 
accompany  them. 

"  If  thou  wouldst  but  listen  once  to  Him,  Martha, 
thou  wouldst  feel  all  the  troubles  of  this  world  re- 
moved from  off  thy  shoulders,  and  perfect  peace 
would  fill  thy  soul.  His  words  are  like  the  softest 
music,  and  yet  they  sound  deep  like  the  waters  of 
the  sea,  and  they  are  so  true,  so  real,  thou  canst 
not  but  believe  them.  They  are  indeed  the  words 
of  a  God,  for  never  man  spake  like  this  Man.  It 
is  the  Messiah  who  is  here  ;  I  know  it,  I  feel  it, 
Martha.  If  thou  wouldst  but  once  accompany  me 
and  follow  Him,  for  most  times  He  speaketh  to  the 
multitude!  " 


LAZARUS.  77 

But  Martha  had  made  answer:  "  Thinkest  thou, 
Mary,  that  the  Messiah  would  come  as  a  poor  car- 
penter and  in  poorest  attire,  with  naught  else  but  a 
chiton  and  a  tunic  ?  Thinkest  thou  not  that  the 
heavens  would  rend  themselves,  and  the  very  thun- 
der-clouds be  in  waiting  on  the  Lord  ?  Thou  art 
easily  carried  away,  Mary,  for  thou  dreamest  much, 
and  Mary  Magdalene  hath  filled  thee  with  these 
foolish  fancies." 

"Ah!  poor  Magdalene.  Would  I  could  indeed 
instil  into  her  life  a  little  joy,  and  stay  the  sorrow  at 
her  heart!  Yet  see,  even  to  her  He  hath  been  full 
of  pity  and  love ;  to  her  who  was  aforetime  jeered  at 
by  the  multitude,  despised  by  men  and  women,  who 
wept  daily  in  the  wilderness,  conscious  of  her  sins, 
yet  not  knowing  whence  to  learn  the  way  to  a  better 
life.  He  hath  spoken  to  her  words  of  sympathy  and 
heavenly  love,  and  now  she  is  a  devout,  pious  wo- 
man, having  naught  to  do  with  any,  save  only  the 
praying  to  this  Jesus,  whom  she  calls  her  Lord." 

"  He  can  be  no  God  who  speaketh  to  harlots  and 
goeth  about  with  sinners,"  Martha  had  replied;  for 
the  very  mention  of  Magdalene,  the  harlot,  closed 
her  heart.  "  The  Messiah  is  not  yet  come,  for, 
when  He  cometh,  the  world  will  be  overwhelmed 
with  the  glory  and  the  shame.  He  will  walk 
through  the  sea  with  His  horses  and  scatter  the 
sinners  as  a  whirlwind.  Mountains  will  quake  and 
the  valleys  be  laid  low,  and  every  man  will  know 
that  He  is  the  Lord.  There  will  be  no  doubting, 
and  all  shall  know  that  the  Lord  He  is  the  God. 
We  must  not  be  blinded  by  false  prophets." 

Then,  in  despair,  Mary  had  exclaimed:  "  When 


78  LAZARUS. 

Christ  cometh,  will  He  do  more  miracles  than  those 
which  this  Man  hath  done  ?  " 

But  Martha  had  hardened  her  heart,  for  she  had 
seen  no  miracles,  and  would  believe  in  nothing  that 
she  had  heard. 

"  He  is  a  prophet,"  she  had  replied,  "  but  He  is 
not  a  God." 


CHAPTER   X. 

Temple  had  been  all  day  the  scene  of  throng- 
1  ing  crowds.  The  people  in  and  round  about 
Jerusalem  had  gathered  there  to  hear  the  Nazarene 
preach;  some  from  curiosity  and  some  to  scoff,  but 
the  greater  part  to  listen  to  those  wondrous  words, 
which,  while  upsetting  all  past  teaching,  brought 
peace  and  comfort  to  the  heart,  and  visions  of  un- 
ending happiness  in  the  future.  How  simple  was 
that  teaching!  No  burnt-offerings,  no  more  sacri- 
fices, only  water  to  the  thirsty  and  food  to  the 
hungry ;  forgiveness  and  salvation  offered  to  all  who 
would  accept  it.  The  tone  of  the  Nazarene  that  day 
had  been  almost  broken-hearted ;  His  appeals  to  the 
hearts  of  men  more  pathetic  and  more  powerful  than 
usual  in  their  pleading  earnestness.  Who  on  earth 
can  ever  fathom  the  grief  of  the  Man  of  Sorrows  at 
the  hardness  of  heart  of  people  who  daily  saw  His 
miracles  and  heard  His  words,  yet  would  not  be- 
lieve ? 

'  Why  do  ye  not  understand  My  speech  ?     Be- 
cause I  tell  ye  the  truth,  ye  believe  Me  not." 

Incensed,   the  crowd  had  hurled  invectives  and 
abuse  against  the  meek  testifier  of  the  truth. 

"  Now  we  know  that  Thou  hast  a  devil,"  cried 
some. 

'  Who  art  Thou  ?  "  cried  others. 
79 


80  LAZARUS. 

'  Where  is  Thy  Father  ? ' '  cried  others  derisively. 

And,  in  meek  solemnity,  with  eyes  that  turned 
to  Heaven  in  mute  appeal  for  forgiveness  for  those 
around  Him,  the  voice,  that  had  so  often  kept  the 
Jewish  crowd  in  check,  replied:  "  Ye  neither  know 
Me  nor  My  Father;  if  ye  had  known  Me,  ye  would 
have  known  My  Father  also." 

Goaded  on  by  the  Pharisees,  the  crowd  had  yelled 
and  roared  and  taunted,  till,  at  last,  grown  furious 
at  the  continued  meekness  of  the  Preacher,  they  had 
even  taken  up  stones  and  cast  them  at  Him.  A 
terrible  cry  arose  when  the  Nazarene's  fair  flesh  was 
struck  again  and  again  by  the  stones  hurled  at  Him. 
It  was  the  voice  of  a  woman  who  stood  in  the  crowd : 

"  My  son,  my  Lord,  they  have  hurt  Him.  Oh,  are 
they  mad  that  they  know  Him  not  ?  Oh,  foolish 
generation,  who  hath  bewitched  you  ?  " 

But,  even  while  she  had  cried,  the  tender  eyes  of 
the  Nazarene  had  fallen  upon  the  mother  whom  He 
loved.  Perhaps  to  spare  her  pain  or  to  prevent  fur- 
ther sin,  or  because  His  hour  was  not  yet  come,  He 
had  ceased  speaking,  and  walked  without  shrinking 
towards  the  crowd.  '  Terrified  by  His  temerity,  per- 
haps, or  cowed  by  some  invisible  power  that  held 
them  spell-bound,  the  crowd  had  stopped  molesting 
Him  and  had  fallen  back  to  let  Him  pass ;  and,  turn- 
ing to  each  other,  had  murmured,  in  strange  con- 
trast to  their  late  behaviour,  "  This  is  the  Christ," 
while  others  had  said,  "Or,  of  a  truth,  the  Prophet." 

And  so  Jesus  had  passed  out  of  the  Temple  in 
safety.  But  now  evening  had  come,  and  with  it  the 
faint  chilliness  that  in  Southern  climates  takes  the 
place  of  frost  at  the  approach  of  the  cold  season. 


LAZARUS.  8 1 

The  cloudless  sky  had  turned  from  deepest  blue  to 
palest  green,  and  the  dying  sun  had,  as  it  were,  spilt 
its  blood  across  the  west,  leaving  a  gold-red  haze  be- 
hind the  waving  palm  trees  that  stood  against  the 
skies  in  dark  defined  relief,  showing  the  pattern  of 
each  leaf.  Here  and  there  a  star  opened  a  twinkling 
eye  and  glimmered  faintly,  and  the  roads  that  looked 
so  white  in  the  midday  sun  grew  greyer  every  mo- 
ment. Olive  and  cypress  trees,  leafless  vineyards, 
houses  and  walls  and  hills  were  every  moment 
shrouded  more  and  more  in  the  mantle  of  darkness 
that  was  falling  silently  over  the  earth.  Every  now 
and  then  a  bat,  whirring  out  from  a  neighbouring 
tree,  or  a  pariah  dog  howling  outside  the  walls,  was 
the  only  sound  that  broke  the  stillness.  Along  the 
road  to  Bethany  a  woman  was  hastening  with  cloak 
tightly  drawn  around  her.  At  that  very  moment 
Martha  was  also  speeding  her  way  from  Bethany  to 
Bethsaida  to  beseech  the  Lord. 

It  was  Mary  Magdalene,  who  was  hastening  to 
Bethany  to  join  her  tears  to  those  of  the  other 
Mary.  No  darkness  frightened  her,  no  journey 
seemed  too  long  for  her  to  hasten  where  she  knew 
her  Lord  would  be. 

While  she  hurried  along  the  road  her  thoughts 
turned  to  Jesus,  as  they  were  now  ever  wont  to  turn ; 
the  loving,  penitent  heart,  broken  with  disillusions, 
sickened  with  the  nausea  of  unholiness,  emptied  of 
all  earthly  love,  but  restored  and  comforted  by  the 
divine,  had  room  for  naught  else  now  but  the  Naza- 
rene.  Every  now  and  then  a  strange  misgiving 
overcame  her.  How  was  it  that  Jesus  had  allowed 
Lazarus,  whom  He  so  loved,  to  die  ?  Was  it 


82  LAZARUS. 

that  He  had  been  captured  and  imprisoned  ;  or, 
worse,  put  to  death  ?  For  all  those  who  really  be- 
lieved in  Him  were  imbued  with  the  foreboding  of 
His  approaching  death.  The  Nazarene  Himself  had 
prepared  them  for  it,  and,  as  each  day  dawned,  each 
one  of  His  true  followers  in  turn  rejoiced  that  He 
was  still  with  them,  but  dreaded  what  might  befall 
before  the  night. 

"  I  go  My  way  and  ye  shall  seek  Me;  whither  I 
go,  ye  cannot  come." 

Poor  Magdalene !  How  she  trembled,  thinking  of 
the  moment  when  He  who  had  brought  salvation 
and  forgiveness  to  her  poor  worn-out  soul  would  de- 
part, leaving  her  desolate  in  the  world,  that  world 
which  had  been  cruel  alike  in  its  adulation  and  its 
judgment!  Would  she  have  the  strength,  despised 
and  scoffed  at  by  women,  persecuted  on  account  of 
her  great  beauty  by  the  worst  type  of  men,  would 
she  be  able  to  weather  the  storm  alone  ?  Poor, 
weak,  loving  creature,  would  she  have  the  strength? 
She  had  no  more  faith  in  herself,  no  courage  left; 
only  a  growing  remorse  that  had  kindled  into  a  de- 
vouring flame,  and  then  been  quenched  by  the  love 
of  the  Saviour,  who  had  brought  words  of  consola- 
tion to  the  sinner: 

"  Neither  do  I  condemn  thee;  go,  and  sin  no 
more." 

How  well  He  had  understood,  this  pure  and  spot- 
less Jesus,  the  terrible  lurings  of  sin,  the  horrible 
temptations  of  a  loving,  clinging  soul;  and  how 
poor,  erring  sinners  were  goaded  to  further  sin  by 
the  harshness  of  the  world's  judgment ;  plunged  into 
still  lower  depths  by  the  powerful  and  the  hypo- 


LAZARUS.  83 

crites,  who  pointed  the  finger  of  scorn  at  others  in 
the  hope  of  blinding  their  fellows  to  their  own  far 
greater  sins. 

Yes,  it  had  been  new  life,  a  new,  strange  comfort, 
this  theory  of  faith,  repentance,  and  forgiveness; 
this  wiping  out  of  the  past  her  soul  had  longed  for. 
She — who  had  seen  the  worst  of  human  nature,  who 
had  learned  to  look  with  loathing  upon  man  and  all 
his  selfishness;  tortured  with  remorse;  trembling 
over  loss  of  self-respect;  weeping  at  her  forfeited 
good  fame ;  longing  for  relief,  like  the  thirsty  flower 
for  the  refreshing  rain,  and  dying  bird  for  the  rays 
of  the  glowing  sun — had  fallen  down  in  worship  at 
the  feet  of  the  perfect  Man,  who  brought  salvation 
to  trusting  women  instead  of  ruin ;  who  crowned  all 
manhood  by  His  pure  humanity,  and  conferred  un- 
dying honour  on  all  womanhood  by  the  manner  of 
His  birth. 

But  she  had  grown  humble  and  diffident,  this 
poor,  worn  woman. 

Away  from  Jesus,  she  dreaded  life.  If  her  Lord 
should  die,  she  prayed  that  she  might  also  die. 
Then,  in  the  grey  twilight  of  that  Eastern  night, 
thoughts  stirred  her  deeply,  as  oft  they  do  when  we 
are  alone,  and,  most  of  all,  alone  with  nature,  and 
the  words  of  the  Nazarene  came  back  to  her,  when 
He  had  likened  Himself  to  a  good  shepherd,  and  all 
that  that  implied. 

Oh,  how  wonderful  it  was,  this  change  in  her! 
How  her  heart  glowed  with  gratitude  and  love! 
Then  midway  in  her  journey  and  in  the  silent  dark- 
ness, the  Magdalene  fell  down  on  the  soft  grass  by 
the  roadside  in  deep  humility,  and  bowed  her  head 


84  LAZARUS. 

and  prayed  to  God  to  grant  her  once  more  to  see  the 
face  of  Jesus  and  to  keep  her  from  again  falling  into 
sin. 

So  absorbed  was  she  in  her  prayer,  that  she  failed, 
at  first,  to  hear  footsteps  coming  along  the  road. 
For  a  moment  she  was  overcome  with  womanly  fear 
at  being  alone  on  the  highroad  at  such  an  hour. 
She,  least  of  all,  should  thus  be  seen ;  for,  since  her 
awakening,  she  had  remained  almost  nightly  within 
doors,  or  in  the  company  of  the  mother  of  her  Lord, 
who  had  been  all  sympathy  and  love  to  her.  Of  late 
her  only  pleasure  in  life  had  been  in  following  the 
crowds  to  hear  the  preaching  of  the  Nazarene,  either 
in  the  Temple  courts  or  in  the  open  air. 

The  night  was  dark,  so  rising  quickly  from  her 
knees  she  slid  behind  an  olive  tree.  The  two  men 
approached,  talking  in  tones  that  in  the  night  air 
sounded  loud  and  clear. 

The  Magdalene  started.  She  knew  one  voice 
well  ;  she  had  heard  it  many  times  speaking  to 
crowds,  and  also  in  the  Temple  cursing  and  de- 
nouncing sinners  like  herself.  Surely  it  was  the 
voice  of  Caiaphas.  Those  harsh,  dictatorial  accents, 
full  of  self-assurance,  could  belong  to  no  other  man. 
What  brought  Caiaphas  along  this  road  so  late  ?  A 
sharp  pain  struck  her  heart,  as  though  she  had  been 
stabbed.  If  it  were  Caiaphas  hastening  to  the  house 
of  Martha,  it  must  surely  be  to  lay  hands  on  Jesus. 
Perchance  He  was  already  taken.  Oh  that  she  were 
there  to  throw  herself  between  the  captor  and  the 
captured,  to  tear  the  former  limb  from  limb !  Surely 
God  would  give  her  strength  to  save  His  glorified 
Son.  Then  she  whispered  softly  to  herself,  "  But 


LAZARUS.  85 

He  would  not  let  me.  If  His  hour  had  come  He 
would  bid  me  be  silent  and  watch  for  the  workings 
of  the  Lord." 

Then  there  came  a  great  longing  over  her  to  hurry 
on  and  warn  them  of  their  danger,  for  where  Caiaphas 
went  there  mischief  must  for  sure  be  brewing.  She 
knew  a  short  cut  through  the  olive  groves,  if  only  it 
was  not  too  dark.  But  who  was  the  other  man  ? 
She  strained  her  ears  to  listen.  They  were  close  to 
her  now.  They  halted  and  seemed  engaged  on 
some  hot  argument,  for  they  paused  to  catch  their 
breath.  Truly  to  marvels  there  was  no  end.  The 
man  with  Caiaphas  was  Nicodemus.  For  one  instant 
there  floated  through  her  mind  the  thought  that 
Nicodemus  had  persuaded  Caiaphas  to  go  and  wit- 
ness the  expected  miracle,  the  bringing  back  of 
Lazarus  to  life.  For  one  moment  her  heart  beat 
with  joy.  Oh,  if  Caiaphas  also  should  believe ! 

The  kingdom  of  God  would  be  established,  and 
Jesus  would  reign  for  ever.  Then  her  sudden  joy 
expired ;  it  was  not  to  be ;  she  knew  it  well  from 
Jesus'  lips  that  He  must  die.  Then  mischief  must 
be  abroad ;  either  Nicodemus  was  a  traitor,  or  Caia- 
phas had  laid  a  plot.  They  were  on  their  way  to 
Martha's  house,  but  with  no  good  intent,  and  her 
heart  ached  for  the  poor  women  left  alone  at  such  a 
moment.  She  must  hasten  to  warn  them ;  but  how? 
The  only  road  by  which  she  could  reach  Bethany 
sooner  than  Caiaphas  and  Nicodemus  was  one  beset 
with  dangers;  through  dark  olive  groves,  that  often 
at  night  were  infested  with  evil-doers.  To  the  for- 
given Magdalene,  the  newly  awakened,  purified 
Magdalene,  fear  came  in  a  new  form.  Her  former 


86  LAZARUS. 

ill-fame  created  terrors  for  her  she  had  never  felt  be- 
fore ;  but,  full  of  new-bidden  strength  and  faith,  she 
raised  her  heart  in  prayer,  and  drawing  her  veil 
around  her  face,  she  started  at  a  running  pace  across 
the  soft  herbage  of  the  by-path. 

"  Mary,  Mary  Magdalene,  whither  goest  thou  ?  " 
a  soft  voice  called  after  her.  She  half  paused  to  lis- 
ten; then,  with  redoubled  energy,  began  to  run 
again.  Then  she  became  conscious  of  a  presence 
near  her;  she  durst  not  turn  her  head,  but  her  heart 
breathed  a  prayer  for  help. 

A  sudden  light  brought  her  movements  to  a  full 
stop ;  a  flashing  light  that  diffused  a  strange,  inex- 
plicable glow,  illumining  the  grey-green  olive  trees 
and  enveloping  the  path  and  bushes  with  a  curious, 
iridescent  halo,  that,  while  giving  light,  showed 
neither  flame  nor  fire.  It  was  like  a  fairy  web  of 
gold  hanging  on  tree  and  bush. 

A  great  terror  seized  upon  the  Magdalene.  It 
was  not  physical  fear,  but  the  dread  of  being 
brought  face  to  face  with  the  supernatural.  While 
she  gazed,  with  dilated  eyes  and  parted  lips,  the 
glory  seemed  blurred  by  a  shadow.  It  was  as 
though  the  centre  of  the  glowing  light  were  forming 
itself  into  a  little  cloud.  Her  heart  beat  so  violently 
that  in  its  throbbing  it  seemed  to  make  to  vibrate 
every  nerve  and  fibre  of  her  body.  With  one  hand 
she  held  tightly  across  her  bosom  the  blue  veil  which 
was  worn  by  all  the  women  of  Jerusalem  in  that  day. 
With  the  other  she  smoothed  back  her  lovely  gol- 
den tresses,  straining  her  eyes  to  bursting  to  pierce 
the  glory  that  hung  from  tree  to  tree.  Then,  with 
a  sudden  thought,  she  fell  on  her  knees,  and  bowing 


LAZARUS.  87 

her  head  to  the  ground,  in  words  of  deepest  humility 
and  a  voice  weak  with  agony,  she  murmured : 
"  Oh,  my  Lord,  my  Lord,  they  have  slain  Thee! 
Jesus,  Thou  Saviour,  in  pity  Thou  hast  visited 
me!  "  and  faint  with  gratitude  and  adoration,  and 
torn  with  anguish,  she  almost  swooned  away. 

Then  a  voice  she  knew,  but  which  was  not  that  of 
the  Christ  (whose  voice  was  like  to  none  on  earth), 
called  out  again:  "  Mary,  Mary  Magdalene,  bow 
not  thyself  before  me,  for  I  am  the  least  of  all  men. 
Rise  up  and  listen.  I  am  not  the  Christ,  but 
Lazarus. 

Kneeling  still,  and  struggling  with  emotion,  the 
Magdalene  raised  her  beautiful  face,  half  dazed  still 
from  the  agony  she  had  undergone;  and  some  of 
the  glory  that  shone  around  her  touched  her  lips  and 
hair;  and,  while  she  looked,  the  shadows  seemed  to 
grow  more  and  more  distinct;  till,  finally,  the  form 
and  features  of  Lazarus  seemed  to  stand  in  very  life 
before  her,  but  with  a  strange  spiritual  light  upon 
them,  such  as  she  had  seen  occasionally  on  the  face 
of  the  Nazarene. 

"  Thou,  Lazarus  ?  "  she  murmured  inquiringly  in 
awe-struck  tones.  '  Thou  here  ?  But  I  saw  thee 
die,  and,  even  now,  I  was  hastening  to  Mary  to  warn 
her  that  Caiaphas  and  Nicodemus  are  on  their  way 
to  Bethany ;  and  they  will  have  gained  upon  me  on 
the  highroad." 

' '  Fear  not, ' '  replied  Lazarus.  ' '  I  have  come  to  tell 
thee  that  our  Lord  is  not  yet  come  to  Bethany,  nor 
will  He  be  for  three  days  more.  Thou  hast  naught 
to  fear,  even  if  Caiaphas  and  Nicodemus  go  to  Mar- 
tha's house.  They  will  find  only  Mary,  for  Martha 


88  LAZARUS. 

hath  gone  to  entreat  the  Lord,  and  He  cometh  not 
yet  to  restore  to  me  my  life." 

"  And  art  thou,  in  truth,  dead,  Lazarus  ?     How 
then  speakest  thou  to  me  ?  "  asked  Mary  Magdalene. 
'  Whosoever  believeth  on  the  Christ  shall  never 
die,"  Lazarus  replied  solemnly. 

'  Yet  thou  art  dead,  Lazarus,  thy  grave  clothes 
are  yet  about  thee ;  thou  sayest  that  thy  body  lieth 
in  the  grave.  Tell  me,  then,  what  is  it  to  die  ?  " 

'  To  die,  Magdalene,  is  but  to  begin  to  live;  to 
begin  to  understand,  to  begin  to  know  how  great 
God  is,  how  small  we  are. ' ' 

'  Truly  this  is  strange,  that  thou  shouldst  be 
dead  but  speaking  still  to  me,"  replied  the  Magda- 
lene. 

"  They  that  sleep  in  the  Lord  are  ever  near  those 
they  love,"  said  Lazarus.  "  If  thou  couldst  but  see 
with  purified  eyes,  as  I  now  do,  thou  wouldst  per- 
ceive that  the  world  is  peopled  with  the  spirits  of 
those  who  have  died,  as  they  of  this  world  call  it, 
but  who,  in  verity,  have  but  begun  to  live.  They 
are  about  me  while  I  speak  to  thee." 

Mary  paused,  as  if  to  give  herself  courage  to  reply. 

"Dost  thou  know  all  things?"  presently  she 
asked.  "  Dost  thou  know  wherefore  was  the  world 
created  and  why  death  came  into  it,  why  it  was  per- 
mitted by  our  Lord  Jesus  that  thou  shouldst  die,  if 
in  truth  God  be  His  Father  and  He  hath  power  to 
save  ?  " 

"  Be  silent,  woman,"  replied  Lazarus  severely. 
"  None  of  these  things  do  I  know  yet.  All  that  has 
come  to  me  in  death  is  the  certainty  that  all  this  is 
for  right;  but  I  understand  it  not.  I  know  only 


LAZARUS.  89 

that  to  understand  it  fully  is  impossible.  I  would 
fain  explain  away  what  to  me  becometh  daily  more 
inexplicable,  yet  more  certain.  Oh,  Magdalene,  if 
thou  couldst  but  travel  in  the  spirit  world,  as  I  am 
doing,  thou  couldst  not  but  believe.  I  have  seen 
Jesus,  and  He  hath  charged  me  to  bid  thee  tell  His 
mother  that  three  days  hence  she  come  to  the  house 
of  Martha  to  see  Him  raise  my  body  from  the  grave, 
where  it  now  lieth ;  for  the  glory  of  the  living  God 
will  this  thing  be  done." 

But,  argumentative  still,  as  women  are,  longing  to 
convince  herself  by  further  questioning  of  the  reality 
of  what  she  saw  and  heard,  she  murmured:  "  Hast 
thou,  then,  been  to  heaven  ? " 

"  Nay,"  he  answered,  "  not  to  the  heaven  where 
God  doth  reign,  for  no  man  can  see  His  glory  till 
the  Messiah  be  ascended ;  but  it  is  heaven  to  me  to 
know  that  eternity  existeth,  and  that  from  such 
glories  and  wonders,  as  neither  thou  nor  I  can  under- 
stand, Jesus  hath  come  down  to  save  mortals,  such 
as  we.  Oh,  if  the  world  could  but  understand  or, 
not  understanding,  be  content  to  believe  and  pray!" 

The  first  faint  streaks  of  dawn  were  trembling  in 
the  sky,  a  blue,  cold  light  began  to  play  lightly  on 
the  olive  branches,  and  already  the  golden  haze  of 
glory  seemed  to  be  melting  almost  imperceptibly. 
Lazarus's  face  was  growing  indistinct.  The  air 
seemed  filled  with  the  rustling  of  wings ;  a  noise,  as 
a  flight  of  birds,  sounded  in  Mary's  ears,  mingled 
with  the  music  of  strings  of  countless  harps  in  uni- 
son ;  and  then  a  chorus  of  voices  burst  forth  in  such 
a  chant  of  exultant  praise  and  harmony,  as  it  had 
never  yet  been  given  to  man  or  woman  to  hear. 


90  LAZARUS. 

Entranced,  and  faint  with  wonder  and  emotion, 
the  Magdalene  watched  the  fading  of  the  beloved 
form ;  then,  as  the  voices  grew  more  distant  and  the 
face  more  indistinct,  a  regret  that  pierced  came  over 
her,  in  that  she  had  failed  to  ask  for  guidance  how 
to  gain  eternal  life. 

"  Lazarus,  Lazarus,  rabbi,"  she  exclaimed,  "  tell 
me  before  thou  goest  how  must  I  die  that  I  may  die 
in  Christ  ?  "  But  he  made  no  answer.  Then  faintly, 
from  the  distance  came  the  voices  chanting:  "  Truth 
and  love.  Truth  and  love." 

And,  overcome  with  all  she  had  gone  through,  full 
of  penitence,  remorse,  and  wonder  and  devotion,  the 
Magdalene  fell  upon  her  face,  caring  nothing  that 
her  beautiful  hair  caught  in  the  roots  and  branches 
and  tanglewood  beneath  her;  conscious  only  that 
Jesus  loved  her,  and  that  for  her  sins  His  life  was  to 
be  yielded  up,  that  to  wash  away  her  stains,  His 
blood,  the  blood  of  the  Innocent,  the  Perfect  One, 
must  flow. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

news  that  Lazarus  was  dead  spread  with  the 
1  rapidity  of  lightning.  His  illness,  and  the 
probability  or  the  improbability  of  his  being  saved 
from  death,  or  restored  to  life,  had  for  so  many 
weeks  been  a  common  topic  that  it  was  no  wonder 
that  his  death  filled  the  believers  with  dismay,  and 
the  Pharisees,  and,  still  more,  the  Sadducees,  with 

joy- 
Joanna's  tongue  had  not  been  silent,  nor  yet  had 
Rachel's,  and  when  some  messenger  had  come  from 
Jerusalem  with  some  delicacy  ordered  by  Martha,  in 
the  hope  of  tempting  the  slender  appetite  of  the  in- 
valid, he  had  found  himself  surrounded,  on  re-enter- 
ing the  outskirts  of  the  town,  by  a  vociferating, 
clamouring  crowd  of  inquiring  gossips. 

There  was  still  greater  significance  in  this  death 
for  the  chief  priests ;  it  renewed  their  power  over  the 
Jews,  while  it  also  renewed  the  controversy  between 
Caiaphas  and  Pilate  as  to  the  expediency  of  laying 
hands  on  the  Messiah. 

The  apparent  failure  of  the  expected  miracle  ren- 
dered the  Nazarene  a  less  dangerous  opponent. 

Some  anxiety  was  felt  by  Caiaphas  when  he  heard 
of  the  continued  absence  of  the  Nazarene  from  the 
house  of  Martha  and  Mary.  It  seemed  to  him,  in 
his  insensate  craving  for  revenge,  that  his  Victim 

91 


92  LAZARUS. 

was  escaping  him ;  while  Pontius  Pilate  was  secretly 
glad,  both  at  the  disappearance  of  the  Christ  and 
the  discomfiture  of  the  wily  Caiaphas. 

'  Where  is  now  the  courage  of  thy  Nazarene  ?  " 
Caiaphas  had  asked  the  Procurator  at  the  Sanhe- 
drim; and,  in  the  same  taunting  tone,  Pilate  had 
answered : 

"  Where  is  now  thy  Victim  ?  " 

The  hours  were  few  in  which  Mary  and  Martha 
were  allowed  to  sit  and  mourn  their  dead  in  peace. 
Of  a  noble  and  respected  family,  as  the  wealthy 
ruler  had  been,  it  was  impossible  that  his  death 
should  not  cause  some  stir,  for  all  that  his  recent 
leaning  towards  the  tenets  of  the  Nazarene  had 
caused  him  to  be  looked  upon  of  late  with  some 
suspicion.  Accordingly  great  interest  was  taken  in 
the  promised  presence  at  the  funeral  of  several  rep- 
resentatives of  the  different  sects  who  suspected  or 
dreaded  that  Lazarus  might  not  be  really  dead  ;  and 
Caiaphas  had  prevailed  on  the  jackal  Annas  to  be 
present. 

'  We  can  trust  none,"  he  had  said,  "  and  this 
Nazarene  may  so  bewitch  the  people  that  they  may 
fear  to  tell  us  the  truth.  It  must  be  thou  or  I,  for  I 
would  trust  to  no  man's  eyes  or  ears  or  tongue  in 
this  affair;  and  it  would  look  better  that  he  that  was 
High  Priest  were  there  than  that  he  that  is ;  for  thou 
wouldst  be  deserting  no  office  and  wasting  no  time 
if,  peradventure,  thou  wert  walking  in  the  olive 
groves  by  Bethany  at  eventide,  when  the  funeral 
procession  was  approaching." 

Caiaphas  had  not  seen  fit  to  tell  his  father-in-law 
of  his  midnight  journey  to  Bethany  with  Nicodemus, 


LAZARUS.  93 

when  he  had  hoped,  if  not  to  lay  hands  on  Jesus,  to 
get  tidings  of  His  movements ;  when  he  had  also  seen 
the  body  of  Lazarus. 

An  endless  multitude  of  people  thronged  all  day 
the  road  from  Jericho ;  great  rabbis,  followed  by  their 
retinue,  mules  laden  with  spices  and  myrrh,  oint- 
ment and  spikenard.  The  room  in  which  Lazarus 
lay,  now  bound  in  grave  clothes  by  the  tender  hands 
of  Martha  and  Mary,  was  like  an  ever-moving  pano- 
rama. According  to  Jewish  custom,  all  the  friends 
and  relatives  came  to  bid  farewell  to  the  corpse  and 
to  mourn  with  the  sisters ;  and  the  ever-active  Mar- 
tha forgot  some  of  the  poignancy  of  her  grief  in  the 
dispensing  of  hospitality  and  in  attending  to  the 
comfort  of  the  thronging  crowd.  Nicodemus  was 
there,  in  attendance  on  Annas,  glad  to  have  so  good 
an  excuse  for  coming  to  the  house  at  Bethany,  with- 
out appearing  to  be  attracted  by  curiosity  or  devo- 
tion. The  two  men  were  allowed  the  first  access  to 
the  corpse ;  and,  while  Annas  let  his  eyes  wander 
curiously  around  him,  as  if  he  dreaded  some  jug- 
gling or  chicanery,  Nicodemus  looked  across  the 
corpse  at  him  and  said:  "  Methinks  he  is  dead  in 
very  truth." 

But  the  wily  father-in-law  of  Caiaphas  would  risk 
no  answer,  lest,  perchance — for  all  words  of  Nico- 
demus seemed  borne  out  by  facts — he  still  might  be 
the  dupe  of  circumstances. 

Then  others  thrust  themselves  within  the  room, 
some  curious,  some  interested,  but  all,  with  ready 
Eastern  sympathy,  eager  to  comfort  the  bereaved 
women.  Those  belonging  to  the  nobler  grades  of 
Jewish  social  life  were  doubtless  struck  with  the  in- 


94  LAZARUS. 

congruities  of  the  surroundings:  the  superb  hang- 
ings and  costly  adornments  of  the  house,  and  the 
humble,  mean  attire  of  many  of  the  mourners. 
Last,  but  not  least,  their  dignity  was  offended  by 
the  presence  of  the  Magdalene. 

'  What  doth  this  sinner  here  ?  "  said  one  or  two, 
albeit  with  bated  breath,  not  to  wound  the  suscepti- 
bilities of  the  owners  of  the  house. 

"  She  loved  Lazarus,"  said  one. 

"  Methinks  the  ruler  had  good  taste,"  put  in 
another  with  a  jeering  laugh,  suppressed  at  the 
remembrance  that  a  corpse  lay  in  the  adjacent 
chamber;  "  for  she  is  the  comeliest  woman  in 
Judaea." 

"  Methought  the  righteous  Lazarus  took  no  heed 
to  any  woman,"  said  a  third. 

'  Tush,"  said  Nicodemus.  'T  is  not  as  ye  do 
think,  ye  foul-hearted,  foul-mouthed  generation. 
This  woman  was  purified  by  the  Nazarene.  He 
cast  forth  seven  devils  from  her,  and  Mary,  the  sis- 
ter of  Lazarus,  who  is  ever  kind,  doth  help  her  much 
to  lead  a  better  life." 

This  statement  was  met  with  a  shrugging  of  the 
shoulders  and  an  upraising  of  the  eyebrows;  and  one 
bolder  than  the  rest  remarked:  "  Perchance,  if  Laz- 
arus had  lived,  he  would  have  taken  her  to  wife. 
The  followers  of  the  Nazarene  do  strange  things, 
I  'm  told." 

But  the  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  voice 
of  a  servant  crying  out:  "  Make  way,  make  way. 
Simon  the  Leper  doth  come  this  way." 

As  though  one  smitten  with  the  plague  came  in 
their  midst,  the  whole  crowd  dispersed,  jostling  and 


LAZARUS.  95 

pushing  each  other  this  way  and  that,  in  their  hurry 
to  avoid  contact  with  the  afflicted  one ;  and  soon,  as 
if  by  magic,  the  chambers  were  emptied  of  their  hu- 
man throng,  to  let  the  wasted  vision  of  diseased 
mortality  pass  in. 

One  or  two  beckoned  to  Mary  and  Martha,  but 
they  shook  their  heads,  and  Mary  whispered  softly : 
'  We  fear  nothing;  he  is  our  father." 

However  strict  the  Jewish  laws,  none  could  at 
such  a  moment  refuse  the  father  access  to  the  body 
of  his  son.  Simon,  like  his  daughters,  had  retained 
a  lingering  hope  that  the  Nazarene  would  save  Laz- 
arus from  death,  and  so  had  put  off  his  visit  from 
day  to  day,  till  he  had  been  too  late  to  bid  his  son 
farewell.  Great  tears  coursed  down  the  cheeks  of 
the  poor  old  man.  It  was  the  overflowing  of  a  sor- 
rowful cup,  filled  to  the  brim  with  life's  bitterness. 
Though  he  was  compelled  by  the  Jewish  law  to  live 
apart  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  his  son  had  been 
the  hope  of  his  old  age ;  he  had  watched  his  career 
with  all  the  love  and  pride  of  a  father,  who  feels  that, 
but  for  some  untoward  accident,  he  might  have  been 
great  himself. 

Lazarus  had  been  his  second  self — a  second  self, 
but  free  from  his  affliction.  The  rectitude  of  his  son's 
life  had  been  his  joy ;  his  high  position,  his  pride ;  his 
kindness  to  his  sisters,  a  burden  lifted  from  his  own 
shoulders.  It  was  through  his  son  that  he  had 
learned  to  know  the  Nazarene  ;  yea,  who  knew 
what  hopes  of  recovery  Simon  had  fostered  in  the 
presence  of  the  Christ  ?  Yet  both  father  and  son 
had  been  disappointed  in  their  hope  of  being  healed 
of  their  disorders  by  the  Nazarene.  For  all  that,  it 


96  LAZARUS. 

was  characteristic  of  the  members  of  this  family, 
plucked,  as  it  were,  like  brands  from  the  burning, 
that  they  never  wavered  in  their  faith.  Perhaps  it 
was  the  intensity  and  unity  of  their  trust  that  com- 
pelled the  miracle  that  followed. 

Hideous  in  his  horrible  disease,  the  poor  old  man 
stood  gazing  at  the  lifeless  features  of  his  son. 

Then  he  looked  at  Mary,  who  was  still  kneeling  by 
the  bedside,  and  shaking  his  head  sadly,  he  repeated : 
"  He  is,  in  truth,  dead.  He  is,  in  truth,  dead." 

Then,  fearing  the  return  of  the  mourning  friends, 
or  perhaps  that  by  his  presence  he  was  keeping  them 
away,  the  old  man,  unattended  and  lonely,  as  he 
had  come,  tottered  away,  leaning  a  little  more 
heavily  than  his  wont  upon  his  staff  of  olive 
wood. 

"  Thou  and  I,  thou  and  I,"  he  muttered.  Then, 
as  if  to  keep  his  faith  alive  by  the  sound  of  his 
voice,  he  cried  out  as  he  passed  as  rapidly  as  he 
could  across  the  garden,  where  the  crowds  had  taken 
refuge  during  his  visit  to  the  body  of  his  son: 
"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within 
me  bless  His  holy  name."  And  here  and  there  a 
voice,  pitying  or  scoffing,  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  heart  from  which  it  emanated,  cried  out:  "Who 
healeth  all  thy  diseases!  Why  then  hath  He  not 
healed  thine?"  Again:  "Thou  art  grateful  for 
little,  poor  Simon."  Then,  as  if  given  a  sudden  in- 
spiration of  conviction,  Simon  turned  round  on  the 
scoffing  crowd,  and,  with  a  mighty  voice,  cried  out : 
"My  son  will  yet  rise  again." 

And  while  the  Jews  questioned  among  themselves 
"What  meaneth  he  ?  Now  or  at  the  resurrection?  " 
the  poor  old  man  took  his  solitary  way  down  the 


LAZARUS.  97 

road  that  led  on  to  Jerusalem,  a  sharp  pang  seizing 
his  heart  as,  every  now  and  then,  a  child  or  an  older 
passer-by  darted  across  the  road,  lest  they  should 
touch  him,  exclaiming  in  horror  ill-suppressed: 
"  'T  is  Simon  the  Leper." 

"  Who  knoweth  what  trickery  they  have  con- 
trived in  yonder  chamber  ?  "  said  the  ever-suspicious 
Annas  to  a  bystander,  dreading  even  now  a  miracle 
at  the  last  moment,  and  neglecting  no  opportunity 
of  instilling  disbelief  in  its  reality,  should  it  appar- 
ently take  place. 

The  sad  day  was  over,  with  its  bereavement  and 
its  disillusions,  its  horrible  disappointments,  its  fruit- 
less yearning  for  the  glorious  Presence  which  would 
have  so  revived  their  drooping  spirits.  Lazarus  had 
been  laid  in  his  grave  amid  the  chants  and  wailing 
of  nearly  all  Jerusalem.  The  air  around  the  grave 
was  heavy  with  the  perfumes  that  had  been  brought 
as  gifts.  One  by  one  the  mourners  had  departed, 
leaving  a  little  group  of  intimates  behind.  Yet  still 
Annas  lingered,  half  in  awe  and  half  suspicious. 
Then,  while  the  women  continued  to  kneel  beside 
the  grave,  he  approached  Martha  and  addressed  her 
courteously  enough. 

"  Lady,"  he  said,  "  wouldst  permit  that  these, 
:ny  soldiers,  roll  a  stone  upon  the  grave  ? ' ' 

'  Wherefore  ? ' '  asked  Martha,  eying  the  wily 
Jew  with  some  distrust. 

With  shifting  glance,  he  yet  tried  to  look  her 
steadfastly  in  the  face.  "  I  fear  some  trickery,"  he 
said ;  and  the  accent  of  truth  rang  out  in  the  greasy 
voice. 

"Art  not  ashamed  to  say  such  things?"  asked 
Martha  testily.  Then,  drawing  herself  up  to  her  full 


98  LAZARUS. 

height,  she  added  proudly:  "  Yea,  if  thou  fearest 
aught."  With  unutterable  scorn  the  word  "  fear- 
est" was  pronounced.  "  If  thou  fearest  aught  from 
heaven  or  earth,  do  what  thou  wilt.  Set  thy  soldiers 
to  roll  a  stone  before  his  grave." 

Then  the  scheming  Annas  realised  that  he  had 
taken  a  false  step,  for,  if  miracle  there  were,  then 
it  would  assuredly  be  said,  "  Yet  Annas  placed  a 
stone  against  the  door  "  ;  giving  double  strength  to 
what  might  otherwise  have  been  passed  off  as  a  trick. 
Accordingly,  hastily  he  replied:  "  Still,  if  thou  will 
it  not,  't  is  all  one;  for  there  will  be  no  miracle." 

But  Martha,  justly  angered,  raised  her  head 
proudly  and  made  answer:  "  Nay,  but  I  will  now 
that  thou  have  this  stone  rolled  on  my  brother's 
grave ;  and,  if  thou  wilt  but  bid  thy  soldiers  do  it  in 
the  presence  of  these  who  linger  still  and  can  bear 
witness  to  it,  I  will  myself  send  message  to  my  kins- 
man Caiaphas,  or,  if  needs  be,  go  to  Pontius  Pilate 
to  tell  him  of  thy  words." 

Annas  started,  stung  by  her  tone  and  words ;  then 
laughed  an  angry  laugh.  "  Methinks  that  He  who 
can  raise  one  so  dead  as  Lazarus  can  also  roll  away 
the  stone." 

'  Thou  speakest  well,  thou  treacherous  Annas," 
replied  Martha,  with  some  heat ;  "for,  if  my  brother 
rise,  it  will  be  at  the  bidding  of  Jesus,  the  Son  of 
God,  with  whom  all  things  are  possible." 

With  these  words  she  signed  to  the  soldiers  to  roll 
a  stone  against  the  tomb,  stifling  the  wish  to  cast  one 
last  long  look  at  her  brother,  lest  Annas  should  make 
it  an  excuse  for  delaying  to  fulfil  her  wish. 

Then  the  soldiers,  partly  to  annoy  Annas,  whom 


LAZARUS.  99 

they  hated  for  a  crafty  Jew,  and  partly  from  Roman 
courtesy  to  the  two  sorrowing  women,  rolled  a  huge 
stone  against  the  mouth  of  the  tomb.  But  Annas 
had  already  proceeded  down  the  hill,  as  though  re- 
fusing to  be  witness  to  the  act  that  he  himself  had 
first  suggested. 

Nicodemus  lingered  for  one  moment  to  bid  fare- 
well to  the  two  he  knew  and  loved  so  well,  and  to 
ask  the  question  he  had  already  longed  to  put : 
"  Thinkest  thou  still  the  Lord  will  come  ? " 

"  He  will  come,  He  will  come,"  wailed  Martha; 
"  but  my  brother  is  dead;  my  brother  will  rise  no 
more." 

"But  at  the  resurrection,"  chimed  in  Mary  softly. 
And  then,  while  Nicodemus  hurried  on  to  catch  up 
with  Annas,  the  two  women,  with  arms  entwined, 
wandered  back  to  their  solitary  home,  bereft  for  the 
future  of  all  its  joy  and  sunlight  and  the  chief  in- 
terest of  their  lives.  Behind  them  walked  a  little 
band  of  old  and  trusted  friends,  wailing  and  bemoan- 
ing according  to  Jewish  custom.  On  the  clear  even- 
ing air  their  voices  sounded  like  a  celestial  chorus. 

"  I  will  weep  bitterly.  Labour  not  to  comfort 
me.  For  it  is  a  day  of  trouble,  and  of  treading 
down,  and  of  perplexity  by  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts 
in  the  valley  of  vision.  Look  away  from  me,  look 
away  from  me  :  I  will  weep  bitterly. ' ' 

Then  a  woman's  voice  alone  took  up  the  verse 
from  the  Song  of  Solomon. 

'  Where  is  thy  beloved  gone  ?  Whither  is  thy 
beloved  turned  aside  ?  that  we  may  seek  him  with 
thee." 

Then  they  all  joined  in  once  more:  "  Look  away 


IOO  LAZARUS. 

from  me,  look  away  from  me,  for  I  will  weep 
bitterly." 

Mary  heard  the  words,  that  rose  in  tearful  strains 
behind  her,  and,  turning,  saw  the  Magdalene's  white, 
sorrowing  face  close  to  her  own,  trying  to  frame  the 
words  of  wailing,  while  the  great  tear-drops  fell  from 
those  lustrous  eyes  that  had  driven  men  mad  afore- 
time. 

"  Who  knoweth  how  thy  aching  heart  doth  suffer, 
my  poor  Magdalene  ?"  she  murmured  soothingly, 
and  stretching  out  her  hand  to  her. 

Then  once  more  the  mournful  voices  chanted:  "I 
said,  O  my  God,  take  me  not  away  in  the  midst  of 
my  days.  As  for  man,  his  days  are  as  grass :  as  a 
flower  of  the  field,  so  he  flourisheth.  For  the  wind 
passeth  over  it,  and  it  is  gone ;  and  the  place  thereof 
shall  know  it  no  more.  Look  away  from  me,  look 
away  from  me,  for  I  will  weep  bitterly — I  will  weep 
bit— ter— ly." 

The  voices  rose  and  fell  and  there  seemed  no  com- 
fort anywhere.  Now  that  the  cherished  body  was 
no  longer  there,  the  house  seemed  more  desolate 
than  ever,  and  a  great  night  was  in  their  hearts; 
deeper  even  than  the  gloom  now  falling  silently, 
though  the  moon  was  veiled  and  the  stars  shone  not 
out.  And,  as  the  last  lamp  flickered  out  in  the 
house  of  Bethany,  all  hope  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  were  bereaved  died  with  it,  for  there  was  no 
message  from  the  Lord.  Brother  and  friend  and 
God,  all  had  gone  from  them  at  once.  But  there 
was  no  wavering  of  their  faith. 

"  For  the  glory  of  God  is  this  thing  done,"  said 
Mary.  "  We  must  tread  the  winepress  alone." 


LAZARUS.  IOI 

But  Martha,  in  the  petulance  of  her  fatigue  and 
grief,  exclaimed:  "  If  the  Lord  had  been  here,  our 
brother  had  not  died  "  ;  and  in  her  revolting  heart, 
she  cursed  the  Jews  and  all  unbelievers  and  them 
who  sought  His  life  and  thus  had  kept  Him  away. 
Great  as  was  her  faith,  it  was  not  so  great  that  she 
could  believe  that,  if  He  had  so  willed  it,  He  could 
have  raised  Lazarus  from  afar. 

Then,  wearied  out  with  physical  fatigue  and  the 
effort  of  brain  and  heart  that  tried  in  vain  to  pierce 
the  veil  of  the  incomprehensible  and  remain  stead- 
fast, despite  assailing  doubts,  the  two  women  sought 
repose  and  fell  asleep  from  sheer  exhaustion.  But 
in  the  chamber  below,  as  outside  in  the  garden,  the 
mourners  still  wailed:  "  Look  away  from  me,  look 
away  from  me,  for  I  will  weep  bitterly,  I  will  weep 
bitterly." 

And  so  that  saddest  of  all  nights  rolled  away  into 
the  tide  of  eternity,  till  at  the  Judgment  Day  the 
Almighty  should  bid  its  waves  leap  upwards  to  the 
steps  of  His  throne  and  unfold  on  its  swelling  crests 
the  innermost  secrets  of  its  annals. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

IT  was  winter  and  a  little  group  of  disciples  clus- 
tered round  a  fire  of  wood.  These  were  won- 
drous times,  when  none  who  believed  sought  rest, 
or,  if  compelled  to,  allowed  themselves  but  little 
sleep. 

Believing  Jerusalem  was  convulsed,  disbelieving 
Jerusalem  triumphant,  that  the  expected  miracle — 
the  raising  of  Lazarus — had  not  taken  place.  During 
the  absence  of  the  Lord  the  disciples  themselves 
were  debating  it  with  wonder.  One  gave  as  a  rea- 
son that  "  He  feared  the  publicity,"  another  that 
He  durst  not  do  this  miracle  on  account  of  His 
friendship  with  Mary  and  Martha. 

"  If  they  have  not  believed  hitherto,  will  they  be- 
lieve because  He  raise  up  Lazarus  ?  "  asked  Peter. 

"  Nevertheless,  for  very  love,  methinks  He  will 
yet  do  it." 

"  What  said  He  unto  thee  when  thou  didst  give 
Him  the  message  of  Simon  the  Leper  ?  " 

"  He  said,  '  Let  us  go  unto  Judaea  again.'  ' 

"  And  I,"  said  John,  "  brought  to  His  remem- 
brance that  the  Jews  sought  to  stone  Him,  and 
't  were  not  wise  to  go  thither  again." 

"  And  what  answered  the  Lord  ?"  inquired  an- 
other. 

"  He  answered,  'Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the 

IO2 


LAZARUS.  103 

day  ?  If  any  man  walketh  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth 
not,  because  he  seeth  the  light  of  the  world ;  but  if 
a  man  walk  in  the  night,  he  stumbleth,  because 
there  is  no  light  in  him.'  ' 

"  And  how  interpreted  thou  this  saying  ?  "  asked 
another. 

Then  John,  leaning  forward,  said:  "Who  can 
fathom  the  words  and  doing  of  our  Lord  ?  Yet,  it 
seemeth  to  me  that  He  spake  that  the  time  was  not 
yet  fitting;  that,  when  the  hour  should  come,  then 
the  Jews  would  seek  Him  out,  for  He  hath  told  us 
further — 'Our  friend  Lazarus  sleepeth ;  but  I  go  that 
I  may  awake  him  out  of  sleep.'  ' 

"  If  he  sleep,  he  shall  do  well,"  said  one. 
'  Yet  one  hath  been  from  Bethany  to-day  saying 
that  they  have  laid  him  in  his  grave.  Have  the 
physicians  so  far  erred  that  they  take  sleep  for 
death  ?  Luke,  thou  art  a  doctor,  tell  us,  can  such 
things  be  ?  " 

"  It  hath  been  known  that  those  in  a  trance  have 
been  laid  in  their  grave,  and,  after  many  days,  have 
been  raised  again.  But  my  heart  telleth  me  it  is 
not  so  in  this  case.  For  the  glory  of  God  hath  it 
been  that  our  Master  was  not  there ;  else  they  that 
seek  to  slay  Him,  or  to  entangle  Him  in  His  talk, 
would  speak  of  some  bedazzlement  or  trickery.  So 
much  the  Lord  doth  love  Lazarus  that,  had  He  seen 
him  sick,  for  very  love  He  would  have  restored  him, 
but  now  that  he  hath  lain  in  the  grave  three  days, 
surely  the  world  will  believe,  if  He  do  bring  him 
back  to  life." 

'T  is  difficult  to  believe,"  said  Thomas;  "  for 
study  hath  given  to  each  argument  an  answer." 


104  LAZARUS. 

"  Study  hath  given  no  answer  for  bringing  back 
the  dead,"  said  Peter,  cynically;  "  yet  I  would  my 
Lord  did  not  return  to  Bethany,  for  I  fear  the  Jews: 
This  death  of  Lazarus  the  ruler  doth  make  them 
bold,  and  Nicodemus  was  ever  an  unstable  reed, 
drawn  hither  and  thither  by  divers  doctrines." 

At  that  moment  one  of  the  disciples  threw  an- 
other log  on  the  fire,  and  a  flame  leapt  up,  making 
visible  the  dark  foliage  of  the  fig  trees,  and  lighting 
with  a  thousand  glancings  the  damp  rocks  behind. 

There,  in  the  midst  of  them,  illumined  by  other 
lights  than  earthly  ones,  stood  motionless  the  Naza- 
rene;  and,  as  if  in  answer  to  their  wonderments,  He 
murmured,  in  His  sweet,  sad  voice:  "  Lazarus  is 
dead." 

'  He  hath  seen  Martha,"  said  one,  "  for  I  was 
told  that  she  was  near  here  this  eve." 

'  Tut,  the  Lord  needeth  none  to  tell  Him,"  said 
another. 

Then  the  sweet,  murmuring  voice  went  on :  "And 
I  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  I  was  not  there,  to  the 
intent  ye  may  believe.  Nevertheless,  let  us  go  to 
him." 

All  sprang  to  their  feet  at  the  Lord's  command. 
Doubtless  He  would  start  on  His  way  at  night,  in 
order  to  reach  Bethany  before  daybreak  ;  and 
Thomas,  believing  in  His  power  to  restore,  but  not 
in  His  power  to  save  them,  yet  full  of  undying  love, 
turned  to  his  fellow-disciples  and  addressed  them. 

"  Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die  with  Him,"  he 
counselled. 

Then,  falling  down  at  Jesus'  feet,  they  murmured : 
"We  will  follow  Thee  wheresoever  Thou  goest,  and 
we  will  die  with  Thee." 


LAZARUS.  105 

And  the  earnest,  loving  voice  made  answer: 
"  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man 
lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends. ' ' 

It  had  been  happy,  that  home  at  Bethany,  on 
which  such  grief  had  fallen.  Separated  from  their 
father,  Simon,  by  the  laws  of  the  country,  by  reason 
of  his  leprosy,  they  yet  nurtured  great  affection  for 
him,  and  often  visited  him. 

Martha  and  Mary,  united  by  the  common  grief  of 
widowhood,  had  agreed  to  share  the  house  in  Beth- 
any, and  to  make  a  home  for  their  younger  brother, 
Lazarus,  a  man  whose  learning  and  integrity  had 
earned  for  him  the  place  of  youngest  ruler  of  the 
Synagogue.  They  represented  in  the  Jewish  people 
a  type  of  persons  that,  before  and  since,  has  been 
found  in  every  place,  in  every  country — namely,  a 
quiet,  God-fearing  family,  who,  from  the  very  dis- 
cretion of  their  acts,  brought  no  comment  and  no 
interference  on  themselves. 

From  their  earliest  youth  they  had  been  trained 
to  follow,  not  so  much  the  laws  of  the  High  Priest 
as  the  ancient  commandments  of  Moses;  and,  till 
their  father  had  been  struck  with  sudden  leprosy  for 
having,  in  a  fit  of  drunkenness,  blasphemed,  they  had 
merely  led  moral,  orthodox  lives  according  to  the 
Jewish  tenets,  without  concerning  themselves  with 
any  special  sect  or  doctrine.  It  was  only  when  this 
swift  visitation  came  upon  them,  with  its  awful  cer- 
tainty and  rapid  judgment,  followed  by  the  com- 
pulsory alienation  from  the  home,  and  later,  when 
the  sorrow  of  widowhood  was  added,  that  their 
thoughts,  pressed  back  into  the  purifying  furnaces  of 


106  LAZARUS. 

grief  and  solitude,  began  to  turn  to  things  divine. 
Rigidly  brought  up  in  strict  morality,  devoted  to 
their  parents,  they  had  to  witness  the  death  of  their 
mother,  through  grief  at  the  disgrace  wrought  in  the 
family  by  the  plight  of  Simon.  A  horror  of  sin,  if 
such  were  its  results,  had  terrified  them  into  submis- 
sion to  the  divine  will ;  but  to  Mary  alone  had  been 
vouchsafed  the  revelation  of  the  possibility  of  an  in- 
ner life  of  love  and  devotion  that  depended  neither 
on  necessity  nor  fear — that  true  philosophy  that 
comes  of  faith,  that  choosing  of  a  good  part  which 
should  not  be  taken  away  from  her.  Who  can  tell 
when  her  heart  first  burned  within  her  ?  Perhaps 
abuses  of  the  Jewish  law  had  excited  in  her  revolt  at 
all  that  was  not  true.  Perhaps  the  narrow-minded- 
ness of  Martha's  views,  or  the  love  of  luxury  in  which 
Lazarus  had  indulged ;  or,  perhaps,  the  favour  of 
the  Lord.  Who  can  tell  what  gave  to  Mary  the 
loving  heart  of  a  little  child  who  seeks  but  to  be  with 
the  object  loved,  that  trustfulness  which  Jesus  had 
so  often  upheld  in  contrast  to  the  self-righteousness 
of  the  self-seeking  Pharisees  ?  Doubtless  it  was  in 
great  measure  due  to  the  chastening  influence  of  the 
griefs  that  she,  in  common  with  her  brother  and  her 
sister,  had  endured ;  sorrow  had  drawn  them  to  the 
Man  of  Sorrows.  Who  can  apportion  the  quota  of 
humanity  in  the  Christ,  or  say  how  far  He  was  con- 
strained by  cords  of  human  sympathy  and  bands  of 
human  love  ?  Sure,  if  the  best  emotions  of  humanity 
did  not  move  Him  as  powerfully  as  they  move  man- 
kind— yea,  far  more  so — this  Godhead  were  of  none 
avail;  for  the  will  to  love,  to  comfort,  to  redeem, 
could  only  come  with  absolute  knowledge  of  man's 


LAZARUS.  IO7 

feebleness.  A  Man  of  Sorrow  and  acquainted  with 
grief — surely  in  that  lies  our  greatest  comfort, — 
who  felt  more  keenly  than  all  others  and  had  more 
often  to  suffer  the  bitterness  of  desertion. 

"  Couldst  thou  not  watch  with  Me  one  hour  ?  " 
and  the  bursting  soul,  thirsting  for  human  sympathy, 
not  for  the  sake  of  comfort — for  none  but  the  Divine 
could  comfort  Him, — yearning  for  loving  converse 
and  companionship;  longing  to  win  souls  to  God; 
turned  for  refreshment  to  a  family  who,  if  still  igno- 
rant, desired  to  learn  the  truth.  Little  wonder  if, 
in  that  time  of  superstition  and  disbelief  among  a 
priest-ridden  populace,  a  family  that  sought  to  un- 
derstand, and  welcomed  the  Saviour  of  mankind, 
should  find  favour  in  the  eyes  of  God  and  be  hon- 
oured with  the  greatest  miracle  the  world  has  ever 
known.  Little  wonder,  too,  that  if  they  shared  the 
privilege  of  His  friendship,  the  participation  of  His 
mysteries,  the  comfort  of  His  divine  assurances,  the 
manifestation  of  His  power,  they  should  also,  later, 
share  His  humiliations,  His  scorn — nay,  the  threats 
of  death,  the  persecutions  that  He  had  undergone. 
For  when  our  Lord  should  have  died  and  risen; 
when  the  thirst  of  vengeance  of  the  priests  and  Phari- 
sees should  still  remain  unsatisfied,  whetted,  rather, 
by  the  lingerings  of  belief  in  the  breasts  of  the  Jews, 
who  than  Lazarus  could  be  better  fitted  to  carry  on 
the  witness  of  tradition ;  who  be  a  better  buffet  for 
the  faults  of  others ;  who  more  feared  or  more  de- 
tested by  the  lovers  of  power  than  he  who,  by  his 
very  presence  and  his  experience  of  death,  could 
transmit  to  the  world  living  proof  of  the  power  of 
the  crucified  Messiah  ? 


108  LAZARUS. 

For  his  fleshly  body  to  rise  again  would  not  be  un- 
mixed happiness.  It  would  mean  to  have  suffered 
the  pains  of  death  without  entering  into  rest  or  peace 
or  joy.  It  would  mean  the  being  made  the  witness 
of  Christ's  work  on  earth.  It  would  mean  a  repeti- 
tion of  his  sufferings,  and,  later,  a  second  dissolution 
of  the  body ;  perhaps,  also,  a  prolonging  of  existence 
beyond  the  ordinary  span  of  life,  and,  therefore, 
extra  suffering.  It  would  mean,  further,  life  made 
more  intolerable  by  the  knowledge  of  eternity  and 
the  impossibility  of  persuading  men  of  what  he 
knew.  Above  all,  it  would  mean  a  greater  responsi- 
bility as  regards  the  daily  actions  of  life — to  him 
that  seeth  is  the  greater  sin. 

There  must  have  been  something  infinitely  sweet 
in  the  appearance  of  Lazarus;  for  when  the  Lord 
looked  on  him  He  loved  him.  The  Nazarene,  weary 
with  infidelity,  worn  out  by  disbelief,  distressed,  per- 
haps (who  knows  ?),  that  most  of  His  followers  were 
of  the  lower  class,  uneducated,  and  therefore  the 
more  obstinate  in  their  superstitions,  in  their  under- 
standing the  more  obtuse ;  overwrought  with  the  in- 
tricate controversies  that  the  Pharisees  had  forced  up- 
on Him,  hoping  to  entangle  Him,  had  turned  in  very 
weariness  towards  the  little  children  who  stood  about 
as  though  inspired  with  added  hope  by  the  fresh 
eagerness  of  their  faces ;  as  if  to  illustrate,  by  their 
meek  trustingness,  the  only  possible  means  of  peace. 

"  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  and 
forbid  them  not:  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
Heaven."  Who  can  tell  the  weariness  of  trying  to 
force  by  controversy  and  argument  the  acceptance 
of  a  proposition  that  was  so  simple  ?  "Verily  I  say 


LAZARUS.  109 

unto  you,  whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom 
of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein." 

And  He  had  taken  them  up  in  His  arms  and  laid 
His  hands  upon  them  and  blessed  them. 

Lazarus  had  stood  near  when  the  preceding  words 
left  the  Saviour's  lips.  For  months  he  had  been 
following  the  Nazarene  from  place  to  place,  thirsting 
for  knowledge;  yet  for  all  he  was  a  lawyer  and  a 
ruler  of  the  Synagogue,  unable  to  recognise  the 
teaching  of  the  Christ,  unable  to  grasp  the  startling 
doctrines,  to  reconcile  them  with  the  teachings  of 
his  childhood  and  the  surroundings  of  his  daily  life. 
He  had  heard  the  Nazarene  pray,  and  he  had 
prayed,  but  there  had  seemed  a  pall  of  unbelief  upon 
his  heart.  Arguments,  such  as  he  had  learnt  in  his 
legal  profession  (for  almost  every  man  that  made  any 
claim  to  position  in  those  days  was  a  lawyer),  seemed 
ever  to  crop  up.  If  this  Man  could  save  to  the  ut- 
termost why  did  He  not  do  so  ?  If  He  really  was 
all-powerful,  what  need  to  suffer  and  to  toil  and  to 
preach  ?  All  the  quibbles  of  unbelief,  the  torment 
of  uncertainty,  which  is  the  world's  greatest  curse, 
which,  since  the  world  began,  has  raised  its  beguil- 
ing voice,  like  the  voice  of  a  siren,  to  lure  men  from 
the  path  of  life ;  all  the  demons  of  despair,  had  torn 
at  the  heart  of  Lazarus  ever  since  he  had  heard  the 
preaching  of  the  Nazarene;  but  the  answer  to  his 
prayer  had  been  coming,  though  he  knew  it  not, 
coming,  as  it  always  does,  by  inward  revelation,  not 
as  the  result  of  argument.  He  had  heard  the  chirp- 
ing voices  of  the  Jewish  boys  and  girls  as  they  clus- 
tered round  the  Christ,  and  he  had  approached  to 
learn  how  Jesus  spoke  to  the  young. 


1 10  LAZARUS. 

With  the  suddenness  of  a  flash  of  lightning  from 
above,  and  with  infinite  peace  and  infinite  gratitude, 
his  eyes  had  been  opened ;  for  the  first  time  he  had 
seen.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life's  dark  gropings 
there  had  shone  a  little  light. 

"  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of 
God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein." 

Children,  who  argue  not,  who  understand  not,  and 
yet  who  believe.  At  that  moment  he  had  realised 
the  wondrous  truth. 

Christ's  kingdom  is  not  the  creature  of  inductive 
reasoning ;  its  being  cannot  be  proved  by  argument. 

Much  that  we  see  and  hear  is  cruel,  unjust,  un- 
true. Nature  alone  is  the  witness  of  God,  revelation 
alone  that  of  the  power  of  Christ.  Miracles,  prophe- 
cies, the  law,  the  letter — what  were  these  to  un- 
questioning obedience,  to  devoted  love,  to  trust  in 
Christ  ?  The  one  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  other. 
Theology  was  but  a  science  built  up  on  contradic- 
tions. If  there  was  an  all-powerful  God,  why  were 
sin  and  misery  and  illness  and  injustice  ?  Why  were 
suffering  millions  only,  after  a  short  span,  to  die  ? 
Why  did  animals  groan  with  the  burdens  of  men  ? 
Why  did  He  not  reveal  Himself  in  such  a  way  as  to 
exclude  all  unbelief  and  make  eternity  of  damnation 
impossible  ?  That  is,  that  will  be,  to  the  world's  end, 
the  constant  question,  and  only  nature  can  give  the 
answer.  Since  there  is  a  world,  and  there  are  trees 
and  flowers  and  times  and  seasons,  for  which  thou 
canst  not  account — for  canst  thou  bind  the  sweet 
influence  of  Pleiades  or  loose  the  bands  of  Orion  ? — 
since  thou  thyself  art  but  helpless  organism,  albeit  a 
being  with  a  brain  and  a  throbbing  heart,  that  hath 


LAZARUS.  Ill 

not  love,  nor  mercy,  nor  understanding,  stand  un- 
doubting  and  contemplate  the  works  of  a  Creator. 
Thou  canst  but  acknowledge  Him;  and  if,  in  His 
mercy,  He  reveal  to  thee  eternity,  instead  of  leaving 
thee  for  endless  years  in  gloom,  in  doubt,  in  trouble 
for  thy  future,  welcome  that  revelation,  and  believe, 
as  thou  canst  not  but  believe,  for  all  thou  canst  not 
understand,  and  fall  down  and  worship  with  thy  soul 
and  body  that  Being  thou  wilt  never  comprehend. 
For  only  God  can  comprehend  God's  nature.  To 
grasp  eternity  thou  must  be  eternal ;  to  plumb  the 
depth  of  sin  thou  must  be  spotless ;  to  fathom  love 
thou  must  be  Christ ;  and  since  thou  canst  be  none 
of  these,  be  content  to  trust,  to  worship,  to  love  that 
human  God  who  hath  placed  Himself  within  thy 
grasp. 

Such  thoughts  had  come  to  Lazarus,  and  salvation 
had  seemed,  as  it  often  seems  to  us,  for  a  few  mo- 
ments a  simple  thing.  But  as  the  voices  of  the  chil- 
dren had  grown  more  faint  and  the  Lord's  image  less 
distinct  along  the  road,  only  a  white  gleam  in  the 
growing  dusk  of  evening  seeming  to  speak  of  the 
glory  that  was  going  by,  it  had  seemed  to  him  as  if 
a  spirit  walked  beside  him  muttering,  the  while, 
words  of  mistrust  and  doubt:  "  What  if  it  should 
not  be  true  ?  What  if  it  is  all  a  lie  ? " 

The  voice  had  sounded  so  distinct  that  Lazarus 
had  turned  quickly  to  see  whether  any  one  was 
there.  Then,  in  his  troubled  vision,  it  had  seemed 
as  if  two  black  wings  had  rustled  away ;  but  it  might 
have  been  but  the  effect  of  clouds,  or  quivering 
evening  shadows ;  yet,  in  very  fear  of  losing  the  new 
faith,  the  young  ruler  of  the  Synagogue  had  mur- 


1 1 2  LAZARUS. 

mured:   "  Satan,  Satan,  trouble  me  not,  for  I  seek 
the  Lord." 

Then,  filled  with  the  terrors  of  the  vision,  if  vision  it 
were,  and  lest  the  Lord  should  disappear,  he  had  cried 
out  appealingly :  "  Lord,  help  me !  Lord,  help  me !  " 

That  is  a  cry  that  hath  ever  reached  the  Holy 
One.  Full  of  His  own  meditations,  sad  and  troubled 
as  they  were,  the  Lord  had  checked  His  steps.  In 
the  glowing  gloom  His  white  garments  had  seemed 
to  gleam  and  His  eyes  to  blaze  like  two  burning 
coals ;  and  as  the  glow  in  the  western  skies  had  illu- 
mined his  features  with  its  dying  rays,  Lazarus  had 
thought  he  had  never  seen  anything  so  radiantly 
glorious  yet  so  solemn.  Then,  as  the  Lord  had 
stretched  out  His  arms  towards  him,  His  shadow 
had  made  a  faint  cross  on  the  red  sand  behind. 
Then,  as  human  sympathy  springs  into  being  one 
knows  not  how,  Jesus,  in  whom  it  was  as  strong  as 
His  divinity,  deigned  to  be  drawn  to  the  young  ruler 
who  thirsted  so  for  knowledge,  and  who  was  so  near 
to  the  truth ;  who,  by  his  own  effort,  had  thus  pre- 
pared himself  for  revelation. 

Seeing  the  young  ruler  approach,  the  disciples, 
who  from  respect  to  their  Lord  were  walking  apart 
from  Him,  lest  they  should  raise  the  dust  upon  their 
Master,  had  moved  on,  as  though  to  leave  the  two 
alone. 

Then,  kneeling  down  before  that  glorious  image 
of  a  perfect  Man  who,  without  the  added  glory  of 
angels  or  pomps  or  kingdoms,  could,  by  the  power 
of  His  own  purity,  force  men  into  obeisance,  Laz- 
arus had  cried  out:  "  Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do 
that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life  ?  " 


LAZARUS.  113 

And,  floating  on  the  evening  air,  interwoven  with 
the  scent  of  flowers  and  cedar  wood,  had  come  the 
question:  "  Why  callest  thou  Me  good?  there  is 
none  good  but  one,  that  is,  God." 

It  was  as  if  the  voice  had  said,  "  Thou  givest  Me 
the  attribute  of  God,  yet  believest  not  that  I  am 
He." 

Then,  knowing  that  He  spoke  to  one  well  versed 
in  the  Mosaic  Law,  the  Nazarene  had  gone  on  in  a 
tone  of  pity,  mingled  with  a  little  scorn — as  though 
implying,  "Hast  thou  not  enough  in  thy  religion  to 
save  thee  that  thou  comest  to  Me  ? ' ' — ' '  Thou 
knowest  the  commandments,  Do  not  commit  adul- 
tery, Do  not  kill,  Do  not  steal,  Do  not  bear  false 
witness,  Defraud  not,  Honour  thy  father  and  thy 
mother." 

And  then  Lazarus,  with  tears  almost  in  his  voice, 
as  though  he  feared  the  guidance  to  eternal  life  were 
not  forthcoming,  had  replied:  "  Master,  all  these 
things  have  I  observed  from  my  youth." 

Then  Jesus  had  perceived  that  in  this  man  there 
lacked  one  thing  only.  The  love  of  Christ  was  in 
him.  The  wish  to  know  the  religion  He  came  to 
preach,  the  sighing  and  longing  after  righteousness, 
the  yearning  for  salvation,  all  these  were  his,  but  he 
was  hampered  by  the  luxury  that  incites  to  indo- 
lence, the  love  of  comfort  that  fetters  action.  He  was 
a  philosophic  dreamer  only,  and  as  so  many  are,  be- 
lieving, trusting,  hoping,  but  hanging  back,  for  fear 
of  what  he  might  lose  of  temporal  wealth  and  earthly 
pleasures,  perhaps  of  social  position.  And  Jesus 
had  known  all  this,  and  in  His  heart  there  had  come 
a  longing  that  this  yearning  soul  should  be  one  of 


1 14  LAZARUS. 

those  who  followed  Him.  Beholding  him,  He  had 
loved  him,  and  with  infinite  pity  and  tenderness 
had  made  answer:  "  One  thing  thou  lackest :  go  thy 
way,  sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor, 
and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven :  and  come, 
take  up  the  cross,  and  follow  Me." 

A  look  of  disappointment  had  come  over  the  face 
of  Lazarus.  This  was  not  what  he  had  expected. 
He  had  expected  some  mystic  word  that  would 
direct  him  straight  to  the  eternal  throne.  He  had 
known  that  he  had  led  such  a  life,  in  regard  to  purity 
and  uprightness,  as  the  Nazarene  preached ;  but  this, 
to  give  up  his  possessions — for  Lazarus  was  a  rich 
man — this  would  mean  ceasing  to  be  a  ruler  of  the 
Synagogue,  a  lawyer,  and  a  great  man  in  Bethany 
and  Jerusalem.  Was  this  then  the  spirit  of  a  little 
child,  to  be  the  possessor  of  nothing,  to  look  to  the 
Father  for  everything  ? 

Surely  this  thing  was  not  so  easy.  A  life  of  be- 
lieving and  uprightness,  yes;  but  poverty  ?  pitiful 
poverty,  to  a  man  who  had  worn  purple  robes  and 
been  greeted  in  the  market  place  with  the  cry  of 
Rabbi,  Rabbi !  Verily  they  said  truly  that  this  Man 
was  but  the  God  of  the  poor  and  of  sinners  and, 
grieving  at  the  Messiah's  words,  wishing  inwardly 
that  the  test  of  love  had  not  been  so  severe,  he  had 
gone  on  his  way,  followed  by  the  sad,  sweet  eyes  of 
the  Nazarene,  yet  with  the  words  of  Jesus  deeply 
rooted  in  his  mind.  In  the  garden  of  the  house,  the 
garden  in  which  his  soul  delighted,  and  which  the 
Lord  would  have  him  to  give  up,  he  had  seen  Martha 
and  Mary  walking  with  arms  entwined,  watching  the 
beauty  of  the  dying  day,  while  they  waited  for  their 


LAZARUS.  1 1 5 

brother's  return  before  partaking  of  the  evening 
meal.  He  had  called  out  to  them,  and  there  had 
been  that  in  his  weary,  anxious  tone  which  had 
struck  sadly  on  Mary's  sympathetic  ear. 

Martha,  at  sight  of  her  brother,  had  hurried  into 
the  house  to  see  that  all  was  in  readiness  for  him, 
for  she  prided  herself  on  naught  so  much  as  the  well 
ordering  of  her  household.  But  Mary  had  come  to 
greet  him,  and,  kissing  him,  had  bade  him  come  and 
be  seated  on  the  terrace.  Although  it  was  winter, 
the  air  was  warm  enough,  the  very  slight  chilliness 
only  making  it  the  clearer  and  adding  ruddy  gor- 
geousness  to  the  flame-washed  sky.  From  the  ter- 
race, which  hung  high  above  Jerusalem,  was  a  lovely 
view  of  the  city,  and  beneath  lay  the  valley  of  the 
Jordan  with  the  tall  cypresses  and  cedar  trees  of  the 
Wood  of  Ephraim  filling  in  the  gap.  Here  and 
there  a  star  was  beginning  to  twinkle ;  opal  and 
pearly  tints,  then  grey,  like  the  breast  of  the  turtle 
dove  bathed  in  sapphire,  were  stealing  slowly  over 
primrose  and  carmine  ;  the  pale  new  moon  was 
rising  steadily,  looking  almost  white,  then  turning 
golden  with  departing  day.  '  Verily  it  is  like 
twilight  and  dawn  meeting  together,"  had  said 
Mary.  Then,  linking  her  arm  in  his,  she  had  mur- 
mured gently:  "  Hast  thou  seen  the  Lord  to-day  ?  " 
Then,  at  sight  of  the  pained  look  on  his  face,  she 
had  murmured  softly:  "  Art  tired,  Lazarus  ?  Rest 
thee  and  speak  not." 

Surely  this  woman  was  beloved  by  the  Lord,  for 
she  represented  the  very  essence  of  sympathy,  which, 
only  in  that  house,  He  had  found  in  its  veriest  per- 
fection. And  Lazarus  had  answered  wearily:  "  I 


Il6  LAZARUS. 

have  seen  Him,  Mary,  I  have  entreated  Him  this 
day,  but  He  hath  asked  too  much  of  me.  Mary,  I 
cannot  do  as  He  would  have  me." 

And  overwrought  with  weariness  of  soul  and  body, 
already  attacked  by  the  fever  which  was  soon  to 
bring  about  his  death,  Lazarus  had  laid  his  head  on 
the  marble  supports  of  the  seat  and  sobbed  like  a 
little  child.  And  Mary,  wondering  truly,  but  loath 
to  ask,  had  clasped  him  to  her  bosom  and  let  him 
sob  out  his  heart  there  in  the  solitude  and  darkness 
of  the  garden  he  was  so  soon  to  leave.  Then,  in 
the  growing  darkness,  she  had  raised  her  eyes  inquir- 
ingly to  the  pale  lamps  of  heaven  and,  with  tears 
pouring  down  her  cheeks,  had  sought  for  words 
with  which  to  calm  the  troubled  soul  of  the  dear 
brother;  and  softly,  like  one  who  soothes  an  ailing 
child,  she  had  murmured  the  words  that  had  come 
uppermost :  "  Seek  the  Lord,  and  ye  shall  find  Him. 
Knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you."  And,  as 
if  in  answer  to  her  words  and  to  the  unuttered  pray- 
ers that  struggled  in  the  heart  of  each,  a  voice  had 
called  with  yearning,  "  Lazarus,  Lazarus!  " 

And  from  the  deepening  shadows,  standing  with 
feet  that  gleamed  brightly  on  the  dew-bathed  turf, 
had  appeared  the  form  divine  of  the  Nazarene. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

NO  wonder  that  when  dawn  began  to  steal  across 
the  sky  and  to  struggle  through  the  curtained 
windows  of  the  High  Priest's  dwelling,  it  should 
find  him  still  awake,  perturbed  and  irritable,  and 
pacing  his  room,  as  was  his  wont  when  greatly 
moved.  It  was  a  terrible  face,  this  face  of  Caiaphas, 
when  freed  from  the  look  of  unctuous  pomposity 
he  strove  to  make  impressive  to  the  crowd.  He, 
Caiaphas,  had  taken  a  false  step ;  nay,  more,  he  had 
exposed  himself  to  Nicodemus,  a  powerful  colleague. 
For  once  the  great  deliverer  of  the  law  had  erred ; 
erred  in  his  assumption,  erred  in  the  plot  he  had 
concocted,  and  in  the  means  he  had  resorted  to  for 
its  achievement.  What  now,  if  Nicodemus  should 
expose  him  to  Pontius  Pilate  ?  Worse  still,  if  Caesar 
should  hear  of  the  midnight  flitting  of  the  great  High 
Priest  to  the  house  of  Martha  ?  Had  his  plan  suc- 
ceeded, he  would  have  turned  towards  Nicodemus 
and  twitted  him  with  having  been  his  tool.  He  had 
intended  to  try  to  entangle  the  Christ  in  His  talk,  to 
lead  Him  to  speak  of  Himself;  nay,  more,  to  ask 
Him  again  the  question  that  the  Majestic  God-Man 
had  already  so  often  meekly  answered,  yet  with 'a 
power  and  emphasis  none  could  fail  to  recognise  as 
something  more  than  human ;  the  '  Who  art 
Thou  ?  "  which  had  echoed  from  every  lip  during 

"7 


Il8  LAZARUS. 

the  ministry  of  Christ  on  earth.  He  had  felt  sure 
that  Jesus  would  be  with  those  He  loved  at  the 
news  that  sorrow  and  death  had  overtaken  them; 
and  down  in  his  heart  he  felt  that  the  answer  to  his 
question  would  be  bold  and  true:  "  I  am  the  Son  of 
God."  Oh,  then,  what  delight  to  condemn  the 
Nazarene  out  of  His  own  mouth,  and  what  a  refine- 
ment of  revenge  to  make  Nicodemus  a  party  to  the 
condemnation ! 

Perhaps  far  down  in  his  own  breast  had  lain  a 
doubt  whether,  after  all,  the  Christ  could  restore 
Lazarus  to  life.  If  He  did,  it  would  be  useless  to 
resist  the  populace  or  to  try  to  persuade  them  either 
that  the  Nazarene  was  but  a  man  like  other  men,  or 
that  He  had  a  devil.  But  nothing  had  turned  out 
as  he  had  expected.  Caiaphas  the  great  lawgiver 
had  made  a  mistake,  as  even  the  greatest  do  some- 
times. Why  had  he  not,  he  asked  himself,  sent 
messengers  first  to  Bethany  to  find  out  whether  the 
Nazarene  was  there? 

'  The  wily  Galilean,  some  spirit  doth  assist  Him 
surely.  It  seemeth  as  if  He  had  known  that  I  would 
come."  He  went  to  his  window,  musing  while 
murmuring  these  words,  and  looked  out  on  to  the 
white  walls  of  Jerusalem,  just  beginning  to  glow  in 
the  light  of  morning. 

He  had  found  Mary  alone,  praying  by  the  body 
of  Lazarus.  Martha  even  was  not  there.  She  had 
barely  raised  herself  at  the  great  priest's  entrance. 

"  Hast  thou  come  to  bless  him  ere  he  die  ?  It  is 
too  late,"  she  had  said. 

Her  question  had  seemed  for  one  moment  to  show 
Caiaphas  the  vileness  of  his  own  intent ;  but,  quick 


LAZARUS.  1 19 

to  seize  on  an  advantage,  he  had  replied:  "  I  came, 
as  kinsman,  to  condole  with  thee  and  Martha." 

Mary  had  looked  up  at  Caiaphas  for  one  moment. 
Something  in  the  tone  of  Caiaphas  had  filled  her 
with  surprise.  It  was  not  like  Caiaphas  to  recognise 
the  kinship,  or  to  do  aught  from  kindness;  nay, 
more,  for  many  months  they  had  been  under  a  curse 
from  him  for  harbouring  the  Nazarene. 

As  if  to  dispel  her  wonder,  Nicodemus  had  taken 
the  opportunity,  while  Caiaphas  had  walked  towards 
the  body  of  Lazarus,  to  whisper  to  her:  "  Me- 
thinks  he  came  expecting  to  see  Jesus  raise  Lazarus 
from  the  dead." 

Mary  had  shaken  her  head  sadly.  '  We  too  had 
hoped  so  much,"  she  had  answered.  '  We  sent  to 
tell  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  did  make  reply  that 
this  sickness  was  not  unto  death,  but  for  the  glory 
of  God.  Yet  now  the  physicians  all  declare  that  this 
is  no  trance,  but  that  our  brother  is  dead  indeed, 
and  to-night  we  bury  him." 

Breathless,  Nicodemus  had  asked:  "  Dost  thou 
still  believe,  Mary,  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God, 
and  hath  power  to  raise  the  dead  ?  " 

Slowly,  but  with  proud  head  and  trustful  eyes  up- 
raised to  heaven,  she  had  replied:  "  I  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God." 

At  her  words,  Caiaphas  had  turned  round  sud- 
denly; then,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  he  had  re- 
plied: "Ye  are  all  gone  mad  together.  If  thy 
Christ  had  raised  thy  brother  Lazarus,  I  too  would 
have  believed  ;  but  now " 

"  He  will  raise  him  in  the  resurrection,"  she  had 
replied  with  gentle  sadness,  fretting,  as  those  do 


120  LAZARUS. 

who  cannot  prove  their  words.     "  Yet  He  is  the 
Lord,"  she  had  added  with  simple  trust. 

Signing  to  Nicodemus  to  follow,  Caiaphas  had 
turned  to  go. 

'  Thou  blasphemest  without  knowing  it.  God 
forgive  thee,"  he  had  said.  And,  with  uplifted 
head  and  pompous  step,  he  had  left  the  house,  stop- 
ping at  the  threshold  to  shake  the  dust  from  off  his 
feet. 

One  gleam  of  satisfaction  alone  had  relieved  the 
gloom  of  his  nocturnal  visit.  If  he  had  missed  the 
Christ,  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  Lazarus  was 
really  dead.  No  trickery  could  bring  him  back  to 
life.  The  sunken  eyes  and  protruding  brow,  the 
white  fingers,  the  cold,  cold  feet ;  all  had  been  taken 
in  by  Caiaphas's  eagle  glance.  If  he  had  betrayed 
himself  to  Nicodemus,  it  mattered  little,  for  no  man 
henceforth  would  follow  the  Christ.  All  Judaea  had 
expected  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus.  All  Judaea 
had  been  disappointed,  and  a  disappointed  people 
would  be  facile  to  gather  back  into  the  fold  of  the 
great  High  Priest.  The  triumph  was  to  be  short- 
lived, though  he  knew  it  not — but  it  was  a  triumph, 
nevertheless.  The  absence  of  the  Nazarene,  the 
two  poor  women  alone  and  sorrowing,  Lazarus,  the 
friend  of  the  Galilean,  dead  like  any  ordinary  Jew 
dog,  as  Caiaphas  expressed  it, — all  these  failures 
lent  themselves  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  High 
Priest's  prophecy  that  Jesus  would  die  that  year. 
With  spies  and  soldiers  everywhere,  Caiaphas  ex- 
pected soon  to  learn  where  Jesus  was,  and  what 
kept  Him  away  from  the  house  of  Martha. 

"  'T  is  fear,  fear  lest  amongst  the  multitudes,  or 


LAZARUS.  121 

amidst  the  uproar,  I  or  Annas  should  lay  hands  on 
Him."  So  thought  Caiaphas  aloud;  so,  later,  he 
expressed  himself ;  but,  deep  down  in  his  heart,  he 
knew  that  the  Man  who  boldly  in  the  Temple  had 
denounced  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  even  the  very 
ruler  of  Israel  himself,  and  called  them  hypocrites 
and  whitened  sepulchres,  could  have  no  fear.  Yes, 
he  had  noted  in  the  eyes  of  the  Messiah,  the  only 
time  he  had  seen  Him  in  the  multitude,  a  look  that 
could  goad  a  man  only  to  untempered  penitence,  or 
to  deepest  hellish  hate.  That  look  had  pierced 
Caiaphas  to  his  inmost  being.  It  had  seemed  to 
read  the  secret  of  his  heart,  with  pity  and  with  scorn 
that  one  so  learned  could  be  so  ignorant,  or  that, 
knowing,  could  so  wilfully  withhold  his  knowledge 
from  the  nation,  and  try  to  cheat  his  God.  That 
look  had  ranked  Caiaphas  with  the  devils,  and  surely 
the  sin  of  Caiaphas  was  one  with  that  of  Satan,  who 
pitted  his  strength  against  his  God,  and  tried,  poor 
puny  atom  of  evil,  to  strive  with  the  Creator  and 
Director  of  the  Universe. 

Wearied  with  his  ceaseless  pacings  to  and  fro, 
Caiaphas  threw  himself  upon  his  couch.  His  tri- 
umph, the  triumph  of  the  law,  was  close  at  hand. 
With  the  failure  of  Jesus  (for  what  could  it  be  but 
failure,  if  Jesus  was  afraid  to  save  His  friend  for  fear 
of  the  multitude  ?)  would  begin  again  the  power  of 
the  Pharisees,  only  it  would  be  a  thousand  times 
more  strong  and  more  despotic.  Like  wayward 
children,  the  people  would  return.  Like  one  re- 
pulsed, they  would  fall  back  beneath  the  sway  of 
Caiaphas.  He  could  hear  himself  denouncing  from 
the  altar  their  temporary  infidelity. 


122  LAZARUS. 

'  Did  I  not  tell  ye  from  the  beginning  that  it 
would  be  so  ?"  he  thought  he  heard  himself  saying. 
"  Did  I  not  tell  ye  so  ?  Ye  would  not  believe.  But 
ye  have  set  at  naught  all  my  counsel  and  would 
none  of  my  reproof.  I  also  will  laugh  at  your 
calamity.  I  will  mock  when  your  fear  cometh." 
Oh,  how  delicious  would  be  the  return  of  that  fawn- 
ing, cringing  people !  What  sacrifices  and  oblations 
he  would  exact ;  what  tyrannies  he  would  enact  to 
punish  them  for  daring  to  oppose  their  will  to  that 
of  Caiaphas !  It  was  a  consoling  dream  of  vengeance 
and  triumph  and  requital.  The  great  priest  leaned 
his  head  against  the  wall  and  smiled  to  himself  a 
cold,  triumphant  smile  that  had  a  diabolical  imprint 
upon  it. 

The  door  was  flung  open  and  a  servant  announced 
Nicodemus. 

"  Methinks  he  takes  too  much  upon  himself  in 
seeking  me  thus  early,  and  all  because  last  night  I 
walked  some  paces  with  him,"  said  Caiaphas  to  him- 
self; but,  when  Nicodemus  entered,  his  face  assumed 
a  pleasanter  expression. 

"  Welcome,  Nicodemus.  Hast  thou  forgiven 
me  ?" 

'  Forgiven  thee  ?"  The  simple  Nicodemus  re- 
garded the  High  Priest  with  wonder. 

With  that  fascinating  Jewish  familiarity  that  had 
bewitched  so  many,  Caiaphas  rose  from  his  couch 
and  placed  his  hand  on  Nicodemus's  shoulder. 

"  Now,  friend  Nicodemus,  I  will  tell  thee  the 
truth,  but  thou  must  not  be  angry.  Last  night  I 
fooled  thee ;  I  hoped  to  catch  the  Messiah,  as  ye  call 
Him.  Ha  !  ha  !  The  Messiah  indeed  !  And  I 


LAZARUS.  123 

feared  me  that,  if  I  had  thee  not  with  me,  thou 
wouldst  warn  Him,  and  so  I  should  lose  my  prey. 
Therefore  I  behaved  to  thee  as  if  I  too  were  a  be- 
liever in  this  blasphemer." 

But  Nicodemus  answered  nothing,  and  Caiaphas 
with  a  little  less  certainty  in  his  manner  went  on : 
"  But  He  fooled  us,  this  Nazarene;  for  where  I, 
Caiaphas,  expected  to  find  Him,  He  was  not;  so 
our  night  errand  was  a  wasted  one,  and  thou  mayst 
mock  Caiaphas  and  point  thy  finger  at  him  for  a  fool. 
What  sayest  thou  now,  Nicodemus  ?  Did  I  not 
feign  well  ?  " 

"  Not  better  than  could  be  expected  of  the  High 
Priest,"  replied  Nicodemus  in  a  tone  of  asperity 
and  cynicism,  of  which  Caiaphas  had  not  thought 
him  capable,  and  which  might  hide  meaning  he 
would  not  relish. 

Yet  he  continued:  "  I  knew  thou  wouldst  be 
angry,  for  no  man  likes  to  be  fooled  by  another;  but, 
last  night,  we  were  both  fools,  for  thou  fooledst  me 
and  the  blasphemous  Nazarene  fooled  us  both." 
Here  he  laughed  harshly.  "  But  at  any  rate  we 
have  done  with  Him ;  He  hath  disappointed  the 
people.  His  power,  't  is  evident,  cannot  always  be 
put  forth,  or  He  would  have  spared  His  friend  Laza- 
rus the  pains  of  death."  Then,  reseating  himself, 
Caiaphas  continued  unctuously:  "  So  it  is  that  all 
that  is  not  true  cometh  to  an  end.  At  one  time  it 
seemed  truly,  from  what  the  people  said,  that  this 
Galilean  did  participate  in  some  way  of  the  divine ; 
but  praise  be  to  God  (here  Caiaphas  rolled  his  eyes 
upward  toward  the  ceiling),  who  doth  not  let  the 
wicked  flourish  for  ever.  This  wavering  of  the 


124  LAZARUS. 

people  hath  been  cut  short.  The  bewitchment  is 
over,  and  their  souls  will  return  unto  the  law  of 
Moses.  They  will  have  learned  much  that  is  true 
and  noble  from  this  fanatic;  they  will  return  in 
strengthened  faith  to  their  own  rulers,  and  Judaea 
will  be  more  quiet  than  before." 

Nicodemus,  bewildered,  yet  half  doubting,  was 
about  to  reply ;  but,  even  while  he  opened  his  lips, 
there  was  a  great  noise  below  as  of  tramping  feet, 
and  presently  cries  and  shrieks  rose  on  the  air  with 
bewildering  clamour  and  confusion.  The  voices  of 
men  and  women  and  children  were  joined  in  a  song 
of  praise,  and  cry  after  cry  went  up,  "  Hosanna! 
Hosanna!  "  Then  a  chorus  of  young  voices  broke 
out  spontaneously  in  the  beautiful  words  of  the 
Psalmist,  chanted  to  the  tune  of  a  melodious  Hebrew 
hymn: — "  Surely  His  salvation  is  nigh  them  that 
fear  Him  ;  that  glory  may  dwell  in  our  land.  Mercy 
and  truth  are  met  together :  and  righteousness  shall 
look  down  from  heaven.  O  Lord,  how  great  are 
Thy  works!  Make  a  joyful  noise  to  the  Lord,  all 
ye  lands.  Know  ye  that  the  Lord  He  is  God. 
Make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Lord,  all  the  earth : 
make  a  loud  noise,  and  rejoice,  and  sing  praise. 
Praise  ye  the  Lord.  Praise  ye  the  Lord." 

As  the  noise  approached  the  house  of  Caiaphas 
the  High  Priest  could  hear,  during  an  occasional 
lull,  hisses  and  groans.  Then,  now  and  then,  a 
voice  shrieked  out:  "  Where  is  Lazarus  ?  Give  us 
Lazarus. ' ' 

Caiaphas  sat  silent,  clasping  the  sides  of  his  cedar- 
wood  chair,  and  bit  his  lips,  affecting  to  have  no 
curiosity.  Nicodemus,  however,  had  rushed  to  the 


LAZARUS.  125 

window-seat  with  spontaneous  eagerness  to  see  what 
the  clamour  might  portend. 

But  it  could  not  be  that  Caiaphas,  the  restless, 
arrogant,  wrath-eaten  Caiaphas,  would  long  be  silent. 

With  a  deep,  harsh,  derisive  laugh  he  called  out  to 
Nicodemus  impatiently:  "  What  seest  thou  ?  Is  it, 
perchance,  Lazarus  restored  by  the  Son  of  God  ?  " 

Nicodemus  turned  his  head  for  one  moment  in  an- 
swer. "  I  see  naught  but  a  vociferating  crowd  as- 
sembled round  a  beggar  man."  Then,  stretching 
farther  out  of  the  window,  he  called  to  one  of  the 
soldiers  who  always  stood  at  the  entrance  of  Caia- 
phas's  door:  "  Wherefore  all  this  tumult  ?  " 

"It  is  the  beggar  Rabneh,  who  hath  returned  from 
the  Pool  of  Siloam,"  replied  the  soldier.  "  They 
say  it  is  he  that  was  blind  and  whose  sight  was 
restored  by  the  Nazarene. ' ' 

"  Is  it  in  truth  so  ?  Is  it  he  ?"  asked  Nicodemus, 
as  softly  as  the  distance  would  permit,  lest  Caiaphas 
should  hear;  but  no  whisper  escaped  the  alert  ears 
of  the  suspicious  High  Priest. 

"  Peace,  thou  fool!  "  he  roared.  "How  can  it  be 
he?" 

But  Nicodemus  paid  no  heed.  The  crowd  had 
assembled  beneath  the  window,  gabbling  furiously, 
quarrelling,  vociferating,  howling  with  praise,  or 
shrieking  in  derision,  and  thronging  around  a  poorly 
clad  man,  some  shouting:  "  How  were  thine  eyes 
opened  ?"  others  crying  out:  "It  is  not  he,  it  is 
another  like  him,  it  is  not  he." 

"  Where,  then,  is  the  beggar  we  have  often  seen 
on  the  wayside,  begging,  and  ofttimes  entreating 
the  Christ ;  where  is  he,  if  this  be  not  the  man  ? ' ' 


126  LAZARUS. 

"  Go  and  fetch  him  !  "  cried  a  voice.  But,  even 
whilst  the  voice  was  lost  in  the  tumult  of  disputings, 
two  old  people  of  the  poorest  class,  leaning  on  sticks, 
approached,  and  the  Jewish  crowd,  courteous  in  all 
its  laws  and  ways,  fell  back  to  let  age  pass  by  un- 
molested. 

"  Here  are  his  parents;  mayhap  they  will  know 
if  he  be  their  son,"  cried  a  scornful  voice. 

' '  Give  ear,  give  ear, ' '  cried  the  people ;  and  then 
a  dead  silence  ensued,  while  one  of  the  Pharisees 
stepped  up  to  the  old  couple. 

"  Speak,"  said  he,  with  a  tone  of  authority.  "  Is 
this  your  son  who,  ye  say,  was  born  blind  ?  How, 
then,  doth  he  now  see  ?  " 

The  crowd  seemed  electrified  into  silence,  and  a 
great  hush  fell  on  all  while  they  waited  for  the  an- 
swer. So  sudden  was  the  silence  that  Caiaphas  could 
contain  his  curiosity  no  longer,  but  strode  to  the 
window  and,  laying  a  powerful  hand  on  Nicodemus's 
shoulder,  drew  him  back  to  make  room  for  his  own 
portly  figure. 

Too  excited  to  resent  this  insult,  Nicodemus  ex- 
plained the  situation  to  the  High  Priest. 

"  See,  there  are  the  parents  of  the  blind  man,  but 
they  are  so  old  and  full  of  fear  that  they  are  slow  to 
answer." 

Then,  in  a  voice  he  strove  hard  to  make  steady, 
the  old  man  answered:  "  We  know  that  this  is  our 
son,  and  that  he  was  born  blind,  but  by  what  means 
he  seeth,  we  know  not ;  he  is  of  age ;  ask  him ;  he 
shall  speak  for  himself." 

Then,  turning  to  the  man  again,  the  crowd  shouted 
as  with  one  voice:  "How  were  thine  eyes  opened  ? 


LAZARUS.  127 

Tell  us,  or  we  will  kill  thee  as  a  blasphemer  and  a 
liar. ' ' 

Then  the  beggar  spoke:  "  A  man  that  is  called 
Jesus  made  clay,  and  anointed  mine  eyes,  and  said 
unto  me,  'Go  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  and  wash  ' ;  and 
I  went  and  washed,  and  I  received  sight." 

"  Dost  thou  say,  then,  that  He  is  the  Christ  ?  " 
asked  one  of  the  Pharisees  again ;  for  he  knew  that 
if  the  man  would  but  say  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ 
they  would  cast  him  out  of  the  Synagogue.  For 
the  unbelieving  Jews  had  already  agreed  that  this 
was  to  be  the  penalty  of  those  who  acknowledged 
the  Nazarene  to  be  the  Christ. 

But  the  beggar,  fearing  entanglement,  was  silent. 

Then  the  Pharisee  spoke  again  :  "  Give  God  the 
praise.  We  know  that  this  man  is  a  sinner." 

Fearing  the  multitude,  the  man  did  not  cry  out, 
"He  is  the  Christ,  He  is  the  Son  of  God  "  ;  but,  full 
of  gratitude  for  his  new-found  sight,  he  could  not 
let  the  Pharisee's  words  remain  unanswered. 

'  Whether  he  be  a  sinner  or  no,  I  know  not,"  he 
replied;  "but  one  thing  I  know,  that,  whereas  I  was 
blind,  now  I  see." 

Then  said  they  to  him  again,  hoping  to  confound 
him  out  of  his  own  mouth:  "  What  did  He  to 
thee  ?  How  opened  He  thine  eyes  ?  " 

Then,  still  fearing  the  crowd,  but  growing  stronger 
in  faith  and  loyalty,  the  beggar  answered:  "I  have 
told  ye  already,  and  ye  did  not  hear;  wherefore 
would  ye  hear  it  again  ?  will  ye  also  be  His  dis- 
ciples ? ' ' 

Then  they  reviled  him,  and  said:  "Thou  art  His 
disciple;  but  we  are  Moses'  disciples." 


128  LAZARUS. 

"  Well  spoken,  well  spoken,"  muttered  Caiaphas, 
and  the  voices  went  on  speaking:  "  We  know  that 
God  spake  unto  Moses ;  as  for  this  fellow,  we  know 
not  from  whence  He  is." 

Then,  oblivious  of  all  danger,  and  conscious  only 
of  a  great  love  and  gratitude  to  the  compassionate 
Jesus  who  had  opened  his  eyes,  the  beggar  spoke 
again:  "  Why,  herein  is  a  marvellous  thing,  that  ye 
know  not  from  whence  He  is,  and  yet  He  hath 
opened  mine  eyes.  Now  we  know  that  God  heareth 
not  sinners,  but,  if  any  man  be  a  worshipper  of  God, 
and  doeth  His  will,  him  He  heareth." 

"  He  argueth  well,  this  beggar,"  muttered  Caia- 
phas, carried  away  against  his  will  by  the  man's 
words. 

The  beggar  continued:  "  Since  the  world  began 
was  it  not  heard  that  any  man  opened  the  eyes  of 
one  that  was  born  blind.  If  this  Man  were  not  of 
God,  He  could  do  nothing." 

Then  the  multitude  divided  amongst  themselves, 
some  believing,  and  some  reviling;  yet,  united  in 
wonder  and  curiosity,  they  shouted:  "What  sayest 
thou  of  Him  that  hath  opened  thine  eyes  ?  " 

And  the  beggar,  fearing  the  while  that  he  would 
be  torn  to  pieces,  replied,  with  faltering  faith:  "  He 
is  a  prophet." 

'  Thou  sayest  so  now,  but  thou  almost  said  but  a 
moment  ago  that  He  is  of  God;  where  is  He  then, 
that  He  may  witness  of  thy  sayings  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,"  replied  the  beggar. 

"No,  thou  knowest  not  for  thine  own  ends.  He, 
too,  hideth  Himself  for  fear  of  the  people,"  cried 
some  of  the  crowd.  "  He  feared  even  to  be  at  His 


LAZARUS.  129 

friend's  death-bed,  lest  the  sister  should  revile  Him, 
or  the  Jews  take  Him." 

And  the  crowd  began  to  lay  hands  on  the  beggar 
to  smite  him,  and  push  him  about,  gibing  him  the 
while  and  taunting  him  with  coarse  speech;  while 
Caiaphas,  standing  back  from  the  window,  lest  he 
should  be  noticed  by  the  crowd,  muttered  ominously : 
"  Well  done,  well  done,  my  people." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

OUDDENLY,  like  a  mist  or  cloud  formed  from 
O  the  sun's  effulgence  into  a  mass  of  golden  atoms 
held  together  by  their  own  glory,  a  figure  clad  in 
white,  that  seemed  to  irradiate  its  own  shimmering 
purity  with  dazzling  lustre,  and  to  set  at  naught  the 
brilliancy  of  the  sun  itself — the  figure  of  the  Naza- 
rene — stood  in  the  midst  of  them.  The  crowd  fell 
back  in  awe,  and  all  looked  upwards,  as  though  they 
thought  He  had  descended  from  the  heavens;  for 
none  had  noticed  His  approach,  or  could  tell  whence 
He  had  come.  Caiaphas  started  backward  with  a 
curse.  "  How  long  shall  this  man  trouble  us  ?  "  he 
muttered.  Then,  turning  to  a  messenger — for  one 
stood  always  at  the  entrance  to  his  chamber — he 
commanded:  "  Go,  tell  the  soldiers  that  stand  be- 
low to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  lay  hands 
upon  this  Jesus,  and  to  bring  Him  hither  when  I 
give  the  word.  Dost  hear,  fool?"  he  exclaimed 
sharply,  when  the  man  seemed  to  hesitate. 

"  "T  will  be  no  easy  task,"  replied  the  soldier; 
"  for  though  the  people  revile  those  who  say  He  is 
the  Christ,  yet,  when  they  see  Him  they  fall  down 
and  worship  Him,  and  easily  would  tear  to  pieces 
those  who  seek  to  slay  Him  or  lay  hands  on  Him." 

With  cynicism  and  contempt,  the  High  Priest  re- 
plied: "  It  will  perhaps  make  thy  task  the  easier, 

130 


LAZARUS.  131 

coward,  if  thou  tellest  the  soldiers  that,  unless  my 
word  be  obeyed  and  the  Nazarene  brought  here  at 
my  bidding,  they  shall  forthwith  be  cast  into  prison 
and,  maybe,  crucified.  Though  they  be  Romans, 
Pontius  Pilate  hath  agreed  that,  in  all  things,  those 
who  are  in  my  service  shall  be  tried  by  Jewish  law. 
Speed  thee  now,  or  thou,  too,  shalt  fear  the  power 
of  the  law." 

Caiaphas  could  have  put  forward  no  two  stronger 
incentives  to  action  than  the  calling  of  a  Roman  sub- 
ject a  coward  and  threatening  him  with  the  humilia- 
tion of  a  Jewish  punishment. 

"  This  man  is  beyond  forbearance,"  muttered 
the  man,  as  he  hurried  down  the  stairs  to  obey  Caia- 
phas's  behest. 

Then,  with  cruel  delight,  seeing  that  Nicodemus 
quivered  and  winced  at  his  words,  Caiaphas  turned 
to  him  and  said  :  "  What  thinkest  thou,  Nicodemus  ? 
Have  I  not  done  well  ?  Is  it  not  time  this  mum- 
mery had  an  end  ? ' ' 

Distraught  with  rage  and  impotence,  yet  not 
courageous  enough  to  throw  himself  upon  Caiaphas, 
Nicodemus  answered:  "  Doth  our  law  judge  any 
man  before  it  hear  him  and  know  what  he  hath 
done  ?" 

Caiaphas  laughed.  '  Thou,  too,  art  gone  mad, 
Nicodemus.  Art  thou  also  of  Galilee  ?  Search  and 
look,  for  out  of  Galilee  doth  arise  no  prophet." 

But  Nicodemus  answered:  "  Methinks  it  was  of 
Galilee  the  prophet  Isaiah  spoke  in  the  words:  'The 
people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great 
light :  they  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  upon  them  hath  the  light  shined. '  Now  I  re- 


132  LAZARUS. 

call  that  thou  thyself  didst  once  preach  in  the  Syna- 
gogue that  this  people  was  by  way  of  the  sea  beyond 
Jordan  in  Galilee  of  the  nations." 

Caiaphas  scowled.  '  Verily  thou  hast  good  mem- 
ory, Nicodemus.  'T  will  be  well  that  Caesar  and 
Herod  learn  that  Nicodemus,  the  great  ruler  of  the 
Synagogue,  believeth  that  this  Jesus  is  the  Son  of 
God." 

Then,  fearing  lest  he  had  said  too  much,  he  re- 
sumed the  playful,  half-patronising,  half-deprecating, 
persuasiveness  with  which  he  had  won  over  so  many 
enemies.  "  Nay,  heed  me  not,  good  Nicodemus," 
he  went  on;  "  thou  hast  a  right  to  thine  own 
thoughts ;  but  thou  art  wrong,  this  Man  is  not  the 
Christ.  Nevertheless,  let  us  step  out  on  to  the  roof 
and  listen,  for  He  hath  good  flow  of  language,  this 
Nazarene,  and  He  interested!  me  greatly." 

Half  sullenly,  and  half  incredulously,  yet  wonder- 
ing at  the  sudden  change  of  mood  of  the  cunning 
priest,  Nicodemus  followed  him  on  to  the  flat  roof. 

As  they  stepped  out,  they  heard  the  voice  of  the 
Nazarene  speaking  to  the  beggar;  and  Caiaphas 
leaned  forward  to  listen. 

"  Dost  thou  believe  in  the  Son  of  God  ?  "  asked 
the  gently  entreating  voice;  and  the  words  thrilled 
Caiaphas  against  his  will. 

"  Who  is  He,  Lord  ?  "  replied  the  beggar,  looking 
with  doubting  wonder,  yet  with  love  and  gratitude, 
at  the  Perfect  Man  before  him,  His  face  marred  only 
by  the  lines  of  suffering  and  pity  drawn  on  it. 

Breathless,  the  two  rulers  listened  for  the  answer 
that  Caiaphas  had  gone  to  Bethany  to  hear.  It 
seemed  as  if,  in  answer  to  the  questionings  of  their 


LAZARUS.  133 

hearts,  the  Nazarene  raised  His  eyes  towards  them, 
rather  than  to  the  beggar;  as  if,  also,  the  message 
concerned  both  the  individual  and  the  world  collec- 
tively, a  vital  truth  addressed  to  every  soul  through- 
out the  universe:  "  Thou  hast  both  seen  Him,  and 
it  is  He  that  talketh  with  thee." 

Caiaphas  rose  excitedly.  "  Dost  hear  this  blas- 
phemy, Nicodemus  ?  "  he  almost  shouted;  but  his 
voice  was  drowned  in  the  uproar  of  the  people ;  some 
crying:  "It  is  the  Lord,  hear  ye  Him.  The  Messiah 
hath  indeed  come  down."  Others  crying  out :  "He 
hath  a  devil." 

But  the  beggar,  as  if  struck  suddenly  with  a  reve- 
lation of  the  truth,  cried  out,  in  a  voice  that  seemed 
to  rend  the  skies:  "Lord,  I  believe,  Lord,  I  be- 
lieve. ' ' 

A  smile,  so  heavenly  as  to  be  beyond  the  power 
of  man's  description,  illumined  the  Messiah's  face. 
His  eyes  were  raised  to  heaven,  as  if  in  prayer  and 
thankfulness  for  giving  Him  this  one  soul,  at  least, 
in  all  that  multitude. 

Caiaphas,  meanwhile,  was  marching  up  and  down 
the  terrace,  oblivious  of  the  crowd,  which,  if  it  had 
not  been  so  absorbed  by  the  presence  of  the  Naza- 
rene would  have  espied  him. 

"  This  time  I  tell  thee,  Nicodemus,  I  will  not  de- 
lay. Even  now  will  I  give  the  order  to  arrest  Him. 
This  man  bewitcheth  the  people  with  a  devil." 

"  Nay,  forbear,"  cried  Nicodemus  hastily.  "  Lis- 
ten yet  awhile.  He  goeth  to  Solomon's  porch  to 
preach  to  the  multitude.  If  thou  wilt  slay  Him  it 
will  be  the  last  speech  He  maketh,  and  I  would  hear 
Him  yet  this  once." 


134  LAZARUS. 

"  As  thou  wilt;  but  it  is  the  last  time;  my  mind 
is  made  up,"  answered  Caiaphas.  And,  while  he 
spoke,  he  clenched  his  fists,  and  his  features  hardened 
into  an  expression  that  was  diabolical. 

"  Yea,  't  will  surely  be  the  last  time,"  said  Nico- 
demus  to  himself.  But  already  the  divine  voice  had 
begun  to  speak,  and  the  crowd  was  silent,  sitting, 
standing,  kneeling  around,  while  the  little  children 
clustered  around  the  knees  of  the  Nazarene,  and 
looked  boldly  up  into  the  face  they  loved  and  feared 
not. 

His  subject  was  that  on  which  He  had  enlarged 
aforetime;  that  of  the  shepherd,  the  hireling,  and 
the  sheep. 

When  He  paused,  the  cry  went  up,  "  What  mean- 
est Thou  ?  Thou  speakest  in  parables.  Who  is  the 
shepherd,  who  are  the  sheep  ?  Thinkest  Thou  that 
we  are  blind  also,  or  fools  like  sheep,  that  these 
parables  for  children  are  for  such  as  we  ?  We  are 
not  beggars,  we  are  not  blind." 

Caiaphas  heard,  and  murmured  in  approval :  "The 
Nazarene  hath  overreached  Himself.  The  Jewish 
people  love  plain-speaking." 

Then,  in  answer  to  the  crowd,  the  voice  of  the 
Messiah  rose  again:  "  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  should 
have  no  sin ;  but  now  ye  say,  we  see ;  therefore  your 
sin  remaineth. ' ' 

Then  He  proceeded  to  unfold  the  meaning  of  His 
parable. 

When  He  ceased  speaking,  the  Jews  began  discuss- 
ing among  themselves.  Here  and  there  a  voice  was 
heard  crying  out:  "  Show  us  Lazarus,  and  we  will 
believe." 


LAZARUS.  135 

"  They  are  no  fools,  the  Jewish  people,"  mut- 
tered Caiaphas;  "  they  are  a  fair  and  reasonable 
people. ' ' 

When  the  name  of  Lazarus  was  repeated  by  the 
crowd,  a  great  sadness  overspread  the  face  of  Jesus; 
this  the  people  misread  for  trouble  at  His  impotence, 
or  at  their  detection  of  it.  Fiercely  and  half  mad 
with  excitement,  they  gathered  round  the  Nazarene. 

"  How  long  dost  Thou  make  us  to  doubt  ?  "  said 
one.  "  Tell  us  plainly  if  Thou  be  the  Christ." 

Then  once  more  Jesus  answered  them :  "I  told  ye 
and  ye  believed  not;  the  works  that  I  do  in  My 
Father's  name,  they  bear  witness  of  Me.  But  ye 
believe  not,  because  ye  are  not  of  My  sheep.  My 
sheep  hear  My  voice,  and  I  know  them,  and  they 
follow  Me.  And  I  give  unto  them  eternal  life,  and 
they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  man  pluck 
them  out  of  My  hand." 

A  scoffing  voice  called  out:  "  Nevetheless  they 
have  plucked  Lazarus  from  out  Thy  hand."  A 
mocking  laugh  went  up  from  the  crowd,  and  Caia- 
phas joined  in  it.  Then  the  voice  of  Jesus  rose 
once  more : 

' '  My  Father,  which  gave  them  Me  is  greater  than 
all,  and  no  man  is  able  to  pluck  them  out  of  My 
Father's  hand." 

"He  maketh  out  that  Lazarus  is  with  the 
Father,"  cried  one. 

"  I  and  My  Father  are  one,"  went  on  the  calm, 
impressive  voice. 

Then  some  of  the  Jews  took  stones  and  hurled 
them  at  Him;  but  fearlessly,  and  with  an  indiffer- 
ence that  brought  a  shout  of  admiration  from  the 


136  LAZARUS. 

Roman  soldiers  standing  round  in  waiting  for  Caia- 
phas's  message  to  arrest  Him,  the  Nazarene  con- 
tinued : 

Many  good  works  have  I  showed  ye  from  My 
Father;  for  which  of  these  good  works  do  ye  now 
stone  Me  ?  " 

Then  the  Jews  cried  out:  "  For  a  good  work  we 
stone  Thee  not,  but  for  blasphemy,  and  because  that 
Thou,  being  a  man,  makest  Thyself  God." 

Once  more  the  stones  flew  round  the  golden  head 
of  the  Messiah.  One  of  the  disciples  stepped  for- 
ward, as  if  to  shelter  Him,  but  the  Messiah  raised 
His  hand  and  went  on : 

"  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  My  Father,  believe  Me 
not ;  but  if  I  do,  though  ye  believe  not  Me,  believe 
the  works,  that  ye  may  know  and  believe  that  the 
Father  is  in  Me  and  I  in  Him." 

Then,  exasperated  by  His  calmness,  the  Jews  rose 
up  and  approached  Him  menacingly.  Luke,  who 
was  standing  just  behind  Jesus,  stepped  forward  and 
took  two  of  the  children  by  the  hand ;  then,  raising 
them  in  his  arms,  handed  them  to  their  mothers, 
who  stretched  forward  to  receive  them  over  the 
heads  of  the  multitude. 

Then,  like  a  lion  who  has  awaited  his  prey  only  to 
make  its  seizure  more  assured,  Caiaphas  thundered 
forth  these  words:  "  Quick,  Gilner,  hie  thee  to  the 
soldiers.  Bid  them  bring  this  Jesus  to  me  here  a 
captive."  Then,  with  an  after-thought,  he  added: 
"  But  no  violence,  mind  ye." 

The  messenger,  mindful  of  the  High  Priest's  for- 
mer threats,  precipitated  himself  into  the  street,  and 
Nicodemus,  fearing  the  scene  that  was  about  to  en- 


LAZARUS.  137 

sue,  and  yet  not  brave  enough  to  try  to  defend  the 
Nazarene;  fearing  also  that  he  would  at  last  be 
goaded  into  giving  vent  to  the  rage  that  seemed  to 
suffocate  him,  bade  a  hasty  farewell  to  Caiaphas,  and 
took  his  leave. 

Caiaphas  remained  alone,  his  head  so  bent  that  his 
chin  rested  on  his  breast.  It  all  depended  upon  him 
now,  the  death  or  the  life  of  the  Nazarene.  It  all 
lay  in  his  hands,  the  hands  of  Caiaphas.  If — but  it 
was  too  ridiculous  to  speculate  upon — if  this  was  the 
Son  of  God,  even  then  Caiaphas  would  try  to  op- 
pose, rather  than  descend  from  his  place  of  power — 
for  what  was  a  high  priest,  after  all,  but  a  fore- 
shadow of  the  future,  ordained  to  keep  alive  in  the 
hearts  of  men  the  promise  of  God  to  send  the  world 
a  Saviour  ?  When  the  Saviour  should  come,  priest 
and  ordinance  would  cease  to  be ;  this  he  knew  well. 
Alone  Caiaphas  reasoned  with  himself.  Shortly 
they  would  bring  Jesus  before  him ;  surely,  if  He 
were  the  Son  of  God,  He  would  give  convincing 
proof  of  it.  Either  the  great  High  Priest  would  be 
forced  into  obeisance  and  submission,  or,  if  the 
Nazarene  were  but  a  fanatical  prophet,  a  defier  of 
the  law,  a  blasphemer,  a  devil  let  loose  to  betray  the 
people,  Caiaphas,  the  great  Caiaphas,  would  find  it 
out.  But  deep,  deep  down  in  his  heart  that  was 
gradually  closing  eveiy  door  to  faith,  hardening  each 
plastic  fibre  with  ambition,  lust,  and  greed,  echoed 
still  the  words,  "  I  am  the  good  shepherd." 

Yes,  if  he  would  but  own  it  to  himself,  Caiaphas 
knew  that  there  was  something  in  the  words  of  the 
Nazarene  that  had  in  it  the  ring  of  truth ;  that,  like 
true  coin,  could  never  pass  for  false. 


138  LAZARUS. 

Too  clever,  too  learned,  was  Caiaphas  not  to  know 
the  fast  hold  the  Pharisees  had  on  the  people,  not  to 
be  conscious  that  this  enthralling  power  of  lawyer, 
scribe,  and  Pharisee  musts  needs  be  broken  through 
before  the  people  could  be  set  free  to  worship  the 
living  God. 

Oh,  he  knew  it  well,  this  great  High  Priest ;  but  a 
certainty  of  power  in  this  world  was  more  to  him 
than  a  shadowy,  uncertain  place  in  God's  eternity. 
Ambition,  the  love  of  power,  the  greatest  tempta- 
tions that  can  assail  a  man,  were  too  strong  for 
Caiaphas. 

The  day  wore  on,  and,  so  absorbed  was  Caiaphas 
in  his  dreams,  that  he  forgot  his  midday  meal  and 
his  usual  visit  to  the  Synagogue. 

The  men  were  long  in  returning.  Hour  succeeded 
hour,  and  Caiaphas  sat  wondering  why  the  soldiers 
came  not  with  the  Nazarene.  He  waited  before 
sending  other  messengers,  for  he  had  given  injunc- 
tions that  no  violence  was  to  be  used ;  maybe  the 
Jews,  or,  at  least,  the  followers  of  the  Nazarene,  the 
twelve  who  had  declared  themselves  forever  on  His 
side,  had  offered  some  resistance.  Yet  it  was 
strange  that  none  came  with  a  message,  that  there 
was  no  uproar,  no  tumult  in  the  streets.  Once  he 
stepped  out  on  to  the  terrace,  and  sheltering  with 
his  hands  his  eyes,  he  scanned  Jerusalem,  its  roofs, 
its  winding  streets,  the  distant  groves  of  palms ;  but 
nowhere  were  crowds,  or  even  groups  in  sight. 

"  Perhaps  they  have  killed  Him  in  their  zeal,"  he 
murmured  to  himself.  As  the  afternoon  wore  on, 
and  the  glowing  Eastern  twilight  fell  almost  sud- 
denly, he  began  to  marvel  that  none  had  come  to 


LAZARUS.  139 

him,  and  the  thought  oppressed  him.  It  was 
strange  indeed  for  Caiaphas  to  be  thus  unvisited 
and  unattended.  Now  and  then  a  waterman 
walked  down  the  road  with  his  goat  skin  slung 
across  him,  crying  out  mournfully,  "  Ho,  any  one 
that  thirsteth." 

Here  and  there  a  woman  came  out  from  her  door 
with  a  pitcher  to  be  filled ;  but  the  gloom  of  evening 
gathered  quickly,  for  winter  was  beginning,  and  the 
Feast  of  Dedication  was  then  at  hand.  He  could 
see  the  priests  closing  the  doors  of  the  Temple,  and 
on  distant  roofs  a  few  praying  with  their  faces  to- 
wards the  East.  The  night  stretched  across  the  sky 
like  a  veil  of  crape,  and  still  the  Nazarene  came  not, 
nor  did  the  Roman  soldiers  return ;  and  Caiaphas 
had  to  own  himself  defeated.  Deeper  and  deeper 
fell  the  darkness  on  Jerusalem,  and  at  last  the  city 
slept,  as  she  will  sleep  "  until  the  day  break  and  the 
shadows  flee  away." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE  same  night  that  Caiaphas  was  pacing  his 
terrace — raging  madly,  like  a  wild  beast  de- 
prived of  its  prey ;  baffled  in  his  ambitious  schemes, 
cheated  of  his  dreams  of  vengeance,  growing  each 
moment  more  infuriated,  more  malevolent,  more 
determined — a  middle-aged  woman  was  kneeling  on 
the  stone  floor  of  a  poor  cottage  at  Nazareth.  The 
whole  room  was  dimly  lighted  by  a  candle  standing 
on  a  stone  shelf  built  into  the  wall. 

The  face  was  beautiful,  more  from  expression 
than  from  feature.  The  brow,  especially,  impressed 
one  by  its  whiteness,  but  the  eyes  turned  up  towards 
heaven  were  full  of  tears,  and  the  corners  of  the  lips, 
that  prayed  so  fervently  and  met  each  moment  in 
such  reverence  but  to  form  words  of  piety  and  de- 
votion, were  drawn  downwards,  as  if  in  agony.  Yet 
there  was  no  despair,  no  passionate  vehemence  on 
the  face  or  in  the  prayer,  only  a  meek,  submissive 
pleading  for  resignation ;  and  as,  every  now  and 
then,  a  salt  tear  rolled  down  the  gentle,  fragile 
cheeks,  it  was  swallowed  meekly,  as  though  such 
tears  were  symbols  of  a  revolt  to  be  subdued. 

A  soft  footfall  moved  close  up  to  the  door ;  then 
a  light  hand  rapped  gently  on  it.  Mary  rose  like 
one  returning  from  a  trance.  She  held  her  hand  to 
her  heart  one  moment,  not  in  physical  fear,  but  with 

140 


LAZARUS.  141 

a  foreboding  of  some  dread  news,  to  bear  which 
would  tax  all  her  fortitude.  Then  she  listened ;  it 
could  not  be  Jesus,  her  Son-God,  for  He  needed  no 
opening  of  doors  to  appear  to  her.  No,  it  must  be 
a  messenger,  or,  perchance,  Joseph  returned  from 
Bethany;  but  the  step  was  light  for  Joseph,  who 
was  no  longer  young. 

Then,  when  the  rapping  came  again,  she  stepped 
to  the  door  and  opened  it. 

The  moon  was  high  in  the  heavens  and  its  rays 
entered  the  cottage  in  a  long  streak  of  bluish  white. 
The  virgin  mother's  golden  hair  looked  silver  beneath 
its  radiance,  and  the  pale  face  grew  paler  still.  A 
woman  stood  without,  but,  with  her  back  to  the 
moon's  glory,  her  features  were  undistinguishable. 

'T  is  I,  Mary  Magdalene,  the  sinner,"  said  a 
voice  faint  with  penitence  and  meekness. 

"  No  longer  a  sinner,  since  thou  art  forgiven," 
said  the  elder  woman,  drawing  her  in  lovingly. 
"  But  what  dost  thou  here  at  night  ?  '  T  is  not  safe 
for  thee,  Magdalene,  with  thy  beauty,  to  come  thus 
late  at  night;  for,  till  men's  eyes  be  opened  to 
understand,  they  do  not  honour  women  as  one  day 
they  will." 

"  Yet,  for  thy  sake,  all  women  henceforth  will  be 
honoured,"  exclaimed  the  emotional,  loving  Mag- 
dalene; and  kneeling  at  the  elder  woman's  feet,  she 
raised  the  hem  of  her  garment  and  kissed  it  rev- 
erently. 

"  Nay,  do  not  do  so,"  said  the  other  hastily; 
"  worship  me  not,  for  I  am  only  human  like  thyself. 
'T  is  of  God's  mercy  that  He  has  chosen  me  to  be 
the  mother  of  our  Lord." 


142  LAZARUS. 

"  In  the  far  future  many  will  worship  thee,  in  that 
thou  wast  so  chosen,"  replied  the  Magdalene. 
"  But  I  must  not  tarry  with  my  news  that  will 
soothe  thy  aching  heart:  I  have  seen  Lazarus." 

"  Is  it  even  so  ?  "  said  the  virgin  mother  calmly. 

She  had  seen  too  many  miracles,  been  too  closely 
bound  to  the  Messiah  to  be  surprised  at  the  news 
that  Lazarus  had  risen;  or,  indeed,  at  any  miracle 
performed  by  the  God-Man.  Then  she  went  on : 
44  What  said  Martha  and  Mary  at  the  miracle  ?  Did 
many  believe  ?  " 

44  Nay,  but  it  is  no  miracle,  mother  of  the  Christ," 
replied  the  Magdalene.  "  It  was  his  spirit  only 
that  I  saw  in  the  olive  groves,  and  he  bade  me  tell 
thee  that  thy  Lord  was  not  at  Bethany  yet,  but  safe 
with  the  brethren." 

Over  the  sweet  face  there  came  a  quieter,  more 
peaceful  look,  as  of  one  who  had  received  a  respite 
from  some  dreadful  danger. 

44  Will  He  not  then  restore  him  ?"  asked  the 
gentle  voice. 

14  I  know  not,"  answered  Mary  Magdalene  sadly, 
lifting  her  veil  from  her  face  and  seating  herself  on  a 
stool. 

"  Poor  Magdalene!  Thou  dost  love  Lazarus," 
said  the  mother  of  Christ,  "  and  they  who  love  must 
suffer." 

The  eyes  of  the  Magdalene  filled  with  tears ;  then, 
laying  her  hands  timidly  on  the  Virgin's  knees,  as 
though  to  touch  so  lovely  a  woman  were  to  defile 
her,  she  replied:  "  Lazarus  I  have  ever  loved.  But 
how  should  a  ruler  of  Israel  call  a  harlot  wife  ?  Yet, 
in  his  very  scorn  of  me  I  love  him ;  and,  now  that  I 


LAZARUS.  143 

know  Jesus,  the  joy  that  I  can  feel  so  deep  a  grief 
for  my  great  sins  is  as  strong  as  is  my  love ;  and  so 
my  grief  hath  become  a  joy,  in  like  manner  as  my 
joy  is  the  offspring  of  my  grief.  'T  is  a  strange 
mystery,  this  love  of  Christ,  that  maketh  all  things 
bearable;  but,  mother  of  Jesus,  is  it  not  a  wondrous 
thing  that  Lazarus,  who  in  life  was  wont  to  pass  me 
on  the  other  side  and  forbid  his  sisters  to  have 
speech  with  me,  should  after  death  appear  to  me  a 
sinner  ?  " 

The  virgin  mother,  borne  down  with  grief,  yet 
ever  quick  to  sympathise,  smiled  her  sweet,  pathetic 
smile. 

"  Perchance,  Magdalene,  the  dead  know  all,"  she 
answered ;  "he  knoweth  that  thy  heart  is  right 
with  the  Lord.  Dost  but  remember  His  words  : 
'  To  her  much  is  forgiven,  for  she  loved  much  '  ?  " 

"  Those  words  are  written  forever  on  my  heart, 
O  mother  of  the  Lord.  For  when  the  Lord  spake 
them  they  were  life  to  me.  Oh,  it  is  marvellous, 
this  new  life  of  love,  and  yet  of  mystery,  for  we 
know  nothing,  do  we  ?  Yet,  when  He  speaketh, 
one's  heart  burneth  within  one  and  one  knoweth 
that  every  word  He  saith  is  true.  Methinks  it  is 
not  a  thing  that  comes  by  learning,"  went  on  the 
Magdalene. 

"  It  is  a  gift  of  God  that  Jesus  hath  brought  on 
earth,"  replied  the  mother.  "  It  is  a  problem  none 
can  solve.  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and 
thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell 
whence  it  cometh  nor  whither  it  goeth.  So  are  they 
who  are  born  of  God." 

"  May  I  bide  with  thee  this  night  ?  "  asked  the 


144  LAZARUS. 

Magdalene  presently.  "  It  is  late  to  return  to  my 
dwelling;  and  thou,  thou  canst  not  sleep  for  think- 
ing of  thy  Son.  We  will  talk  and  pray  together  till 
the  morning.  Methinks  that,  when  near  to  thee,  I 
am  closer  to  the  Lord." 

Then,  in  tones  of  deepest  reverence,  and  stroking 
the  thin,  fair  hands  of  the  mother  of  Jesus  down  to 
the  pointed  finger  tips,  she  murmured  :  "  His 
mother,  His  mother,  the  mother  of  the  Lord.  The 
living  witness  of  the  greatness  of  the  Lord,  who  hath 
visited  His  handmaiden  to  bring  glory  and  salvation 
into  the  world." 

As  she  spoke,  the  Virgin  raised  her  face  instinct- 
ively towards  heaven. 

'  When  thou  dost  gaze  upwards  thus,  thou  dost 
bring  to  my  remembrance  a  lily  looking  towards  the 
dying  sun,  expectant  of  the  dews  of  heaven,"  said 
the  Magdalene,  and  once  more,  with  deep  devotion, 
she  kissed  the  Virgin's  hands.  Then,  taking  a  clean 
napkin  from  the  table,  she  proceeded  to  pour  water 
into  a  basin. 

"  Be  seated,"  she  said  in  tenderest  voice,  "  and  I 
will  wash  thy  feet,  thou  holy  one !  It  will  rest  and 
refresh  thee  during  the  night  watch."  The  virgin 
mother  raised  a  hand  in  deprecation. 

"  Call  me  not  holy,  Mary;  none  is  holy,  save  God 
alone.  Who  am  I  that  thou  shouldst  wash  my  feet  ? 
Even  a  poor  sinner,  like  thyself." 

"  Thou  hast  no  sin,"  replied  the  Magdalene; 
"  and  to  wash  each  other's  feet,  in  deep  humility,  is 
the  commandment  of  our  Lord." 

At  her  words,  meekly  and  modestly,  with  depre- 
cating gesture,  as  if  not  desiring  such  attention,  the 


LAZARUS.  145 

Virgin  allowed  Mary  to  wash  first  one  foot  and  then 
the  other. 

With  tender  reverence,  Mary  laved  each  slender 
foot,  kissing  it  when  she  had  finished.  Then  she 
cast  from  her  the  cloth  that  she  had  bound  around 
her  waist. 

"  Nay,  naught  wrought  with  human  hands  shall 
touch  thee,  mother  of  my  Lord";  and,  catching 
hold  of  her  own  luxuriant  golden  tresses,  she  wiped 
the  Virgin's  feet  till  they  were  dry.  Then,  touched 
by  strong  emotion,  she  fell  to  the  ground  at 
Mary's  feet  and  cried  out:  "  Oh,  would  that  I  were 
pure  and  holy  as  thou,  thou  queen  amongst  women. 
Woe  is  me  that  I  have  sinned.  Would  that  I  were 
pure,  would  that  I  were  pure!  "  And,  with  face 
bent  down,  she  wept  as  though  her  heart  would 
break.  At  sight  of  her  abandonment,  the  Virgin 
lifted  her  heart  heavenwards  and  prayed  silently 
that  comfort  might  be  sent  to  the  poor  patient  soul. 

Then,  as  if  in  answer  to  her  prayer  (for  whose 
prayer  would  be  answered,  if  that  of  Mary  were  not?) 
a  moonbeam  shot  straight  through  the  window, 
lighting  up  the  opposite  wall;  and,  in  dark  relief, 
the  shadow  of  the  window  frames  stood  out,  its 
form  a  cross;  and  a  voice  of  sweetest  music  mur- 
mured: "  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither 
let  it  be  afraid." 

At  that  moment,  the  clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  rang 
on  the  silent  night,  sounding  hollow  and  resonant 
on  the  stony  street. 

The  Magdalene  sat  up,  and  pushing  her  hair  from 
her  eyes  with  one  hand,  held  out  the  other  to  clasp 
the  Virgin's. 


146  LAZARUS. 

In  constant  apprehension  of  the  death  of  their 
dear  Lord,  the  followers  of  Christ  were  ever  ready  to 
scent  danger,  ever  steeling  themselves  for  the  dread- 
ful moment  when  their  Saviour  would  be  taken  from 
them.  He  had  warned  them,  in  His  tenderness, 
that  the  support  and  comfort  of  His  presence,  the 
sweet  companionship,  would  not  last  forever.  Yes, 
all  this  they  knew,  but  the  agony  of  separation  had 
yet  to  come.  The  sight  of  the  suffering  of  their  Be- 
loved One  was  soon  to  wring  their  hearts,  and,  as 
love  grew  stronger,  their  coming  grief  became  more 
sure.  Each  unwonted  sound  brought  terror  to  their 
hearts. 

The  two  listened. 

'T  is  some  message  from  Caiaphas  or  Pontius 
Pilate ;  or,  perchance  a  fire  hath  broken  out  in  some 
ruler's  house,"  the  Magdalene  suggested  to  reassure 
the  Virgin's  heart. 

' '  Peace !  cheat  me  not, ' '  replied  the  Virgin  sternly ; 
"  they  halt  at  this  very  door.  They  think  to  find 
Him  here,  but  His  hour  is  not  yet  come." 

The  horses  drew  up  at  the  door,  and  one  could 
hear  them  pawing  the  ground,  and  a  man's  voice 
giving  orders.  Farther  down  the  street  some  dogs 
began  to  bark. 

The  Virgin  rose  and  stood  with  mild  dignity  in 
the  chamber,  hard  by  the  door.  Half  fearful,  yet 
half  eager,  the  Magdalene  pressed  behind  her,  her 
long  tresses  falling  almost  to  the  ground. 

A  loud,  hasty  knock,  and  the  door  was  opened. 
At  sight  of  the  Virgin,  standing  ethereal  and  lovely 
in  her  beautiful  simplicity,  faintly  outlined  by  the 
streaks  of  early  dawn,  now  striving  to  get  the  better 
of  the  waning  moon,  the  soldier  started. 


LAZARUS.  147 

"  Surely  this  is  some  angel,"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self; then,  making  his  gruff  voice  as  gentle  as  he 
could,  he  said:  "  Good  woman,  the  High  Priest, 
Caiaphas,  hath  commanded  me  to  search  this  cot- 
tage, lest  the  Nazarene  be  hidden  here,  and,  if  I  find 
Him,  to  bring  Him  to  him." 

"  Sir,  do  as  thou  wilt,"  replied  the  Virgin.  '  The 
Lord  is  not  here,  but,  if  He  were,  ye  could  do  no- 
thing unless  it  were  given  ye  from  on  high.  Seek 
ye  Him." 

The  men  searched,  but  without  much  ardour. 
They  were  not  anxious  to  find  the  Nazarene,  nor 
had  they  imagined  that  He  would  be  there,  for  it 
was  well  known  that  He  dwelt  not  now  at  Nazareth. 

"  Mother  of  the  Nazarene,"  said  the  soldier,  after 
he  and  his  men  had  searched  the  house,  "  I  have  yet 
an  ugly  message  to  convey  to  thee.  Caiaphas  hath 
commanded  that,  if  we  found  not  the  Nazarene,  we 
should  bring  to  him  all  within  this  house."  While 
he  was  speaking  his  eyes  fell  on  the  Magdalene. 

'Thou  here?"  he  exclaimed.  Then  his  lips 
parted  with  a  coarse,  rude  smile,  ready  to  speak 
some  prurient  jest.  A  look  from  the  mother  of  the 
Christ  arrested  him,  but  the  Magdalene  had  seen 
and  understood  the  look,  and  bent  her  head  humbly 
to  the  ground.  That  henceforward  would  be  the 
cross  she  would  have  to  bear.  The  moral  crucifixion 
of  the  world's  opinion  had  begun.  No  nails  could 
pierce  more  sharply,  no  spear  strike  more  deeply,  no 
burden  be  bitterer  or  harder  to  bear  than  would  the 
judgment  of  the  world  on  sins  that  she  had  done 
with.  For  God  forgives  more  quickly  than  does 
man.  It  would  never  be  wiped  out,  that  past  of 
Mary  Magdalene's;  daily,  hourly,  the  familiarity  of 


148  LAZARUS. 

men,  the  taunts  and  coldness  of  women,  no  better, 
nay,  worse  than  herself,  would  remind  the  Magda- 
lene of  that  thoughtless  past  of  wantonness  and  pas- 
sion. Years  of  endless  writhing  torture  lay  before 
her,  a  weary  battling  against  man's  proffered  love 
and  woman's  jealousy  and  hardness,  till  welcome 
death  should  come  to  free  the  hunted  being. 

'  This  is  the  Magdalene,  my  friend,"  said  the 
Virgin's  gentle  voice;  a  voice  that  came  from  one 
who  knew  that  the  Magdalene's  fame  could  not  be 
damaged  by  the  friendship  of  one  whose  love  par- 
took of  the  divine,  and,  like  that  of  Jesus  clung  to 
the  one  loved  alike  through  good  report  and  evil. 

With  rough  courtesy,  the  soldier  bowed  before  the 
majestic  form  of  purity  incarnate. 

"  One  to  whom  the  immaculate  Mary  of  Nazareth 
hath  given  shelter  is  safe  from  all  men." 

With  infinite  sweetness  the  Virgin  answered  the 
rough  soldier:  "  I  thank  thee,  proud  Roman,  for 
thy  kindly  words ;  may  it  be  so  done  unto  thee  and 
more."  Then  wrapping  her  cloak  around  her,  so  as 
almost  to  cover  her  face,  she  again  addressed  him : 
"  If  thy  orders  are  to  convey  us  to  Caiaphas  we 
must  obey." 

Then,  in  the  cold,  grey  light  of  dawn,  the  two 
women  were  conveyed  outside.  But,  when  the  sol- 
dier was  about  to  assist  the  Virgin  to  mount  the 
horse  that  was  to  convey  her,  the  Magdalene 
stepped  forward. 

"  Forgive  me,  brave  soldier,"  she  interprosed, 
"  but  no  man  hath  ever  laid  hands  on  this  woman  of 
all  women.  Wilt  permit  me  to  help  her  on  the 
horse  ?" 


LAZARUS.  149 

"  Methinks  'twixt  thee  and  me  there  is  not  much 
to  choose,"  the  soldier  muttered;  "  but  as  thou 
wilt." 

At  his  word,  the  Magdalene  lifted  the  frail  figure 
of  the  Virgin,  with  almost  a  man's  vigour,  yet  with 
all  a  woman's  tenderness,  on  to  the  horse. 

'  Thou  art  not  so  fearful  for  thyself, ' '  the  Ro'man 
went  on  coarsely,  as  he  placed  the  Magdalene  on  the 
horse  and  shook  her  fallen  tresses  around  her. 

The  Magdalene  blushed;  then,  with  the  appeal- 
ing, trustful  manner  that  had  been  her  charm  and 
her  perdition  in  days  gone  by,  "  Friend,"  she  said, 
"  speak  no  more  to  me  in  words  of  jest.  Magdalene, 
the  sinner,  is  no  more.  We  are  two  lone,  sorrowful 
women  who  look  to  thy  manliness  for  protection." 

Her  sweet  seriousness  touched  the  Roman  soldier, 
and,  beckoning  to  his  comrade  to  lead  on  the  horse, 
he  took  the  reins  and  led  his  own  behind.  For 
nearly  an  hour  the  strange  cavalcade  proceeded  thus 
in  the  lightening  darkness  through  the  streets  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  sun  was  up  and  the  shadows 
were  sharp  and  well  defined  when  they  halted  at  the 
house  of  Caiaphas. 

As  to  Caiaphas,  he  hardly  knew  himself  why  he 
had  commanded  the  soldiers  to  bring  the  mother  of 
the  Nazarene  to  him.  Furious  at  having  been  foiled 
in  capturing  the  Christ,  and  with  a  growing  convic- 
tion that  he  was  being  treacherously  dealt  with  by 
those  in  his  employ ;  full  of  suspicion — as  those  are 
who  are  themselves  unworthy — and  enraged  at  any 
obstruction  to  his  arrogance,  any  crossing  of  his  will, 
he  had  been  prompted  in  his  action  partly  by  the 
wish  to  lay  hands  on  all  or  any  connected  with  the 


1 5O  LAZARUS. 

Nazarene  he  could ;  and  partly  by  curiosity  to  see 
this  woman  so  many  talked  of,  and  to  hear  her  ver- 
sion of  the  circumstances  of  her  Son's  birth.  These 
times  were  too  uncommon,  too  unsettled,  by  the 
teachings  of  the  lowly  carpenter,  for  even  Caiaphas 
to  be  able  to  close  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  Naz- 
arene was  no  ordinary  man.  To  justify  himself, 
nay,  more,  to  enjoy  the  full  flavour  of  his  vengeance, 
he  must  know  all  concerning  Him  that  he  could 
glean  from  those  who  had  conversed  with  Him. 
From  the  first  he  had  feigned  ignorance  of  the 
preachings  in  the  Temple,  the  assemblies  by  the 
seashore,  the  miracles,  the  strange  doings  and  sayings 
of  this  young  madman,  as  he  had  named  the  Christ ; 
but  the  day  had  come  when,  if  Caiaphas  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  crucify  the  Man,  he  must  know 
enough  to  give  good  reasons  for  His  condemnation 
to  Herod  and  to  Pontius  Pilate;  even  to  Caesar, 
should  he  demand  it ;  nay,  more,  he  must  have  an 
excuse  to  give  himself. 

Two  rulers  of  the  Synagogue,  Nicodemus  and 
Lazarus,  had  gone  over  to  this  Man.  Lazarus,  in- 
deed, was  now  dead,  but  Pontius  Pilate  himself, 
urged  on  by  his  wife,  this  Claudia  Procula  whom 
Caiaphas  hated,  was  beginning  to  speak  in  tones  of 
no  disfavour,  even  of  admiration,  of  the  Nazarene. 
Surely,  therefore,  it  was  time  to  tremble  and  to  act. 
But  he  was  not  prepared  for  the  presence  of  the 
Magdalene.  Her  beauty  troubled  him,  for  he  was 
as  licentious  as  he  was  hypocritical ;  nay,  more,  he 
owed  her  a  grudge,  in  that  she,  a  sinner,  had  re- 
pulsed his  advances  when,  disguised  as  a  peasant,  he 
had  mingled  more  than  once  in  the  crowd  that 


LAZARUS.  151 

chatted  with  the  maidens  at  eventide  by  the  well  of 
Samaria. 

"  Thou  art  too  ugly,"  she  had  ofttimes  cried  to 
him  before  them  all,  "and  thou  hast  a  priestly  face." 
And  the  maidens  would  shriek  with  laughter,  for 
they  knew  full  well  that  he  was  Caiaphas.  But  that 
was  in  the  days  gone  by,  before  the  Magdalene  had 
become  a  follower  of  Christ.  She  had  almost  hoped 
that  they  would  not  bring  her  before  Caiaphas,  and, 
but  for  her  affection  for  the  Virgin,  she  would  have 
asked  to  remain  in  the  outer  chamber. 

While  they  were  being  ushered  into  the  presence 
of  the  High  Priest  she  drew  her  veil  closer  over  her 
face ;  but  Caiaphas,  fearful  always  of  treachery,  bade 
her  lower  it.  When  she  did  so,  her  long,  golden 
tresses  fell  about  her,  and,  changed  though  her  face 
was  with  grief  and  weeping,  he  knew  that  there  was 
but  one  woman  in  Jerusalem  with  tresses  such  as 
those. 

"  Thou  art  in  questionable  company,  Mary  of 
Nazareth,"  said  Caiaphas,  laughing  coarsely.  "Me- 
thinks  that,  for  one  reported  so  immaculate,  thou 
choosest  strange  associates." 

Both  women  were  silent. 

"  Hast  naught  to  say,  woman  ?  Dost  thou  fully 
understand  that  the  life  or  death  of  this  Nazarene 
doth  lie  with  me  ?  " 

Then,  raising  her  pure  eyes  steadily  to  Caiaphas, 
the  Virgin  answered:  "  Thou  couldst  do  naught  at 
all  were  it  not  that  power  were  given  thee  from 
above.  He  hath  escaped  thee  many  times,  for  His 
hour  was  not  yet  come ;  but  He  knoweth  that  He 
must  die  to  save  the  world  from  sin." 


152  LAZARUS. 

Uneasy  at  her  words,  Caiaphas  turned  to  another 
subject:  "  It  seemeth  thy  Son  did  not  raise  Laz- 
arus ?  " 

"  He  will  be  raised  up,"  replied  the  Virgin. 

"  At  the  resurrection,  forsooth,"  said  Caiaphas, 
shrugging  his  shoulders. 

Then  the  Magdalene,  who  had  been  silent,  burst 
forth  with  a  gleam  of  triumphant  daring:  "  Yet  I 
spake  with  Lazarus  yesterday." 

The  brows  of  Caiaphas  flushed  crimson,  and  he 
clenched  his  fists.  Terrified  almost,  he  leaned  for- 
ward, and  forgetful  of  all  else,  he  gasped:  "  Thou 
hast  talked  with  Lazarus  ? "  Then,  shaking  his  head 
and  rising  from  his  chair:  "Thou  art  mad,  woman. 
Thy  penitence  hath  turned  thy  brain.  But  now 
they  brought  me  tidings  that  he  hath  lain  in  his 
grave  two  days."  With  strange  agitation  he  rose 
and  paced  the  room.  '  The  soldiers,  too,  must  be 
bewitched,  since  they  fear  to  tell  me  what  hath  hap- 
pened." 

Then  the  voice  of  the  Virgin  rose  distinct  and 
clear:  "  'T  was  but  his  spirit  Mary  saw." 

"  Ha!  thou  shouldst  not  speak  in  parables,  Mag- 
dalene, for  they  ill  become  thy  lips,  which  are  made 
rather  for  man's  kisses  than  for  the  telling  of  grave 
matters.  His  spirit  forsooth!  Thou  lovest  Lazarus, 
and  in  thy  dreams  he  visited  thee.  Poor  fond,  fool- 
ish woman,  he  is  no  more  on  earth."  Then,  turn- 
ing from  her,  he  addressed  the  Virgin:  "  There  are 
strange  things  spoken  of  thy  Son's  birth.  Is  He  in 
truth  not  the  Son  of  thine  husband  ?  Then  whose 
Son  is  He  ?  These  incredible  reports  work  harm ; 
they  but  unsettle  the  minds  of  men  and  entangle 


LAZARUS.  153 

the  thoughts  of  the  populace.  No  virgin  yet  hath 
borne  a  son,  yet  methinks,  with  eyes  like  thine, 
thou  couldst  not  tell  a  lie.  Whose  Son  is  He  ? 

Proudly,  and  with  head  thrown  back,  the  Virgin 
answered:  "  He  is  the  Son  of  God."  And,  even 
while  she  spoke,  there  gathered  round  her  head  a 
filmy  radiance  of  glory,  that  even  Caiaphas  could 
see. 

He  staggered  back;  then,  pointing  with  a  finger 
towards  the  Virgin,  cried:  "  What  is  that  light  ?  " 
And  Magdalene,  conscious  that  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  was  nigh,  fell  down  in  solemn  worship  at  the 
Virgin's  knee. 

Then,  for  a  moment  terrified,  Caiaphas  cried  out, 
"  Woman  of  Nazareth,  who  art  thou  ?  What  art 
thou  ?  Speak,  for  on  thy  word  dependeth  the  sal- 
vation of  the  world.  Speak,  and  tell  us  plainly  who 
is  thy  Son  ?  Whence  is  He  ?  Is  He  but  a  poor  car- 
penter, or  is  He  the  Son  of  God  ?  " 

"  He  is  Very  God  and  Very  Man,"  replied  the 
Virgin;  "but  the  mystery  I  cannot  tell  thee,  for  I 
know  it  not.  All  the  learning  of  the  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  all  the  philosophy  of  this  earth  cannot  ex- 
plain why  I  should  have  been  chosen  to  be  the 
mother  of  my  Lord,  nor  how  He  did  enter  the 
womb;  but  I  declare  unto  thee  that  this  Jesus, 
whom  they  call  my  Son,  is  the  Son  of  God,  de- 
scended from  heaven  and  made  man ;  but  how  I 
know  not.  Only  I  know  that  the  Lord  hath  so  re- 
vealed it  to  me.  But  this  I  say  truly,  that  he  who 
believeth  on  Him  shall  be  saved  from  eternal  dam- 
nation." 

"  It  was  never  so  known,"  said  Caiaphas.    "  Why 


1 54  LAZARUS. 

should  the  Son  of  God  come  thus  to  judge  the 
world  ?  " 

"He  cometh  not  for  judgment,  but  to  save  the 
world,"  replied  the  Virgin,  her  face  still  illumined 
by  the  wondrous  light.  "  He  came  to  call  sinners 
to  repentance.  'T  is  God  that  judgeth,  and  He  will 
come  again  to  judge  the  world." 

"Why,  then,  do  I  not  believe?"  asked  Caia- 
phas. ' ' 

"  Because  thou  wilt  not,  Caiaphas,"  replied  the 
Virgin  fearlessly. 

A  long  silence  followed,  while  Caiaphas  mused. 
Then,  as  if  suddenly  remembering  that  these  two 
women  stood  still  before  him,  he  looked  up. 

"  Leave  me,  I  pray  you,  to  consider  of  this  thing, 
for  it  hath  never  so  been  known  in  Israel." 

Then  came  to  pass  a  thing  which  never  yet  had 
been.  Caiaphas,  the  great  High  Priest,  escorted  the 
two  women  through  the  ante-chambers  and  past  the 
soldiers  to  the  street. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

IT  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
Martha  was  awaked  from  her  sleep  by  Mary,  who 
stood  by  her.  Weary  with  the  shortness  of  her  rest, 
she  stretched  herself  heavily ;  then,  with  the  recol- 
lection of  the  sorrows  of  the  preceding  day,  that 
came  back  to  her  with  a  rush,  she  sat  up  and,  with 
a  bewildered  look,  brushed  back  the  dark  tresses, 
now  streaked  with  grey,  from  her  forehead. 

"  I  would  not  wake  thee  earlier,  Martha,"  Mary 
said:  "  but  this  night  I  had  a  dream  that  Lazarus 
our  brother  was  risen  and  stood  by  me,  and  thus 
spake  to  me :  '  I  am  risen  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
to  show  forth  His  handiwork. ' 

"  Dost  waken  me  for  a  dream,  Mary  ?"  asked 
Martha,  somewhat  fretfully.  '  Thou  art  tired  and 
thy  thoughts  were  full  of  our  brother  and  of  the 
longing  for  the  miracle  of  his  healing." 

Nay,  but  I  woke  thee  not  for  that  alone,"  said 
Mary;  "  but  because  two  messengers  from  the  Lord 
wait  below.  The  Lord  cometh  nigh  to  the  city." 

Martha  stood  up  at  last.  This  was  indeed  news 
calculated  to  stir  her  active  mind  and  soothe  the  anx- 
ious craving  of  her  restless  heart. 

"  I  will  go  forth  and  meet  Him,"  she  said,  begin- 
ning to  attire  herself  in  haste.  "  I  will  go  forth  and 

155 


1 56  LAZARUS. 

entreat  Him  once  more,  for  He  can  yet  raise  our 
brother." 

"  Nay,  our  brother  did  say, '  Entreat  Him  not,'  " 
said  Mary. 

"  Nevertheless,  I  will  go  and  meet  Him,"  retorted 
Martha,  averse,  as  always,  to  anything  that  savoured 
of  dictation.  '  Wilt  not  come  too  ?  " 

Nay,  I  will  sit  and  wait  here  for  the  Lord,"  said 
Mary,  "  or,  maybe,  I  will  carry  flowers  and  spices  to 
our  brother's  grave." 

Then  Martha  rose,  and  with  pale  face,  and  eyes 
darkened  and  hollowed  with  weeping,  stepped  out 
amidst  the  grey  shadows  of  early  dawn  to  meet  the 
Lord.  She  found  Him  surrounded  by  His  little 
band  of  disciples,  as  ever  the  central  figure,  and  on 
His  face  there  was  a  look  that  Martha  had  never 
seen  before.  It  expressed  anguish,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  a  measure  of  exultation.  His  visage  shone 
with  a  radiancy  not  wholly  to  be  accounted  for  by 
the  reflection  of  the  rising  sun,  that  was  struggling 
feebly  through  the  olive  groves.  With  deepest  sym- 
pathy and  love  He  turned  to  Martha,  and  she,  at 
sight  of  her  Lord,  strengthened  and  revived  in  faith, 
and  realising  all  she  had  suffered  by  His  absence, 
sank  weary  and  humble  and  abased  (as  Martha  sel- 
dom was)  at  His  feet,  and  cried  out  in  bitterness  of 
soul:  "  Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother 
had  not  died." 

Peter,  incensed  at  her  reproach,  exclaimed :  "Who 
art  thou,  woman,  that  thy  brother  should  live  when 
all  men  die  ?  " 

But  she,  heedless  of  the  warning  words  of  Mary, 
heedless  of  the  angry  looks  of  the  disciples,  and  with 


LAZARUS.  157 

a  return  of  faith  and  hope  in  the  presence  of  the 
Saviour,  went  on:  "  But  I  know  that,  even  now, 
whatsoever  thou  wilt  ask  of  God,  God  will  give  it 
Thee." 

A  look  of  joy  came  into  the  eyes  of  the  Nazarene. 
In  the  midst  of  all  the  unbelief  and  scoffing  and  per- 
secution of  the  world,  the  faith  of  this  woman  seemed 
a  slight  refreshment,  a  little  solace,  a  little  return  for 
all  the  sacrifice ;  and,  as  if  with  sudden  power  from 
above,  in  prompt  answer  to  her  quickened  faith,  the 
voice  of  Jesus  rose  with  inspiring  force  on  the  cool, 
unbreathed  morning  air:  "  Thy  brother  shall  rise 
again. ' ' 

Then,  falling  at  His  feet,  fighting  with  herself  to 
force  submission  to  His  will,  Martha  cried  out:  "  I 
know,  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the  resur- 
rection at  the  last  day." 

Surely  she  believed  and  trusted  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent of  the  Jewish  law  and  her  Pharisaical  upbring- 
ing; but  the  vision  that  was  hidden  from  her  was 
Jesus  the  Nazarene  as  God,  and  resurrection  on 
earth.  It  was  too  simple  to  believe.  Then,  once 
more,  as  if  to  test  the  faith  of  this  true  daughter  of  the 
Jews,  the  Nazarene  spoke  words  which  not  only  fell 
on  those  around,  but  seemed  shed,  like  the  fragrance 
of  flowers,  on  the  waves  of  the  air  placed  in  their 
keeping,  to  be  wafted  hither  and  thither  through- 
out all  space,  forming  into  sweetest  music,  heralding 
like  silver  trumpets  to  the  ages  and  generations  yet 
to  come,  shaking  the  hills  and  making  the  valleys 
tremble,  crying  out  through  all  the  centuries  of  time, 
echoing  and  re-echoing  from  snow-bound  mountain 
peaks,  thundering  forth  across  the  storm-clouds, 


158  LAZARUS. 

murmuring  like  summer  zephyrs,  and  tossing  from 
star  to  star,  weeping  like  rain,  bubbling  forth  in 
mountain  torrent,  burning  in  glowing  nuclei  of  fire 
in  the  hearts  of  men — the  message  of  life  and  peace 
and  love  eternal:  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the 
life ;  he  that  believeth  on  Me,  though  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
in  Me  shall  never  die.  Believest  thou  this  ?  " 

And  in  deepest  love,  the  battle  with  mistrust  and 
doubting  over,  the  longing  for  the  restoration  of  her 
brother  merged  into  meek  submission  to  His  will, 
she  murmured:  "  Yea,  Lord."  Then,  not  knowing 
whether  she  really  understood  His  words,  went  on : 
"  I  believe  that  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God." 

Then,  she  still  kneeling  in  oblivious  devotion  at 
Jesus'  feet,  one  of  the  disciples  stepped  forward, 
and  touching  her  on  the  shoulder,  said:  "  Hearest 
thou  not  ?  The  Lord  hath  need  of  Mary.  Bring 
her  here." 

At  these  words  she  rose  and  retraced  her  steps 
quickly  along  the  road.  The  cool  air,  laden  with 
the  breath  of  awakening  flowers,  echoing  with  the 
music  of  the  birds,  rejoicing  in  the  sun's  promise  of 
a  glorious  day,  had  given  her  physical  support  and 
courage,  as  the  word  of  the  Lord  had  soothed  the 
agony  of  her  heart  and  brought  faith  and  resignation 
to  soothe  the  torture  of  bereavement.  It  was  with 
lightened  step  and  smoother  brow,  with  a  smile  of 
restored  calm  and  hope,  that  she  entered  the  garden 
Lazarus  had  loved.  Already  it  and  the  porch  and 
lower  chambers  were  filled  with  Jews  of  all  sects  and 
classes,  who  had  assembled  once  more  to  mourn 


LAZARUS.  159 

with  the  late  ruler's  sisters.  Some,  too,  had  come 
from  curiosity,  to  see  whether  the  Nazarene  had  sent 
any  message ;  others,  in  answer  to  offered  bribes  from 
Caiaphas. 

To-day  the  wailing  and  chanting  had  a  less  mourn- 
ful tone,  as  if  to  bring  comfort  to  the  bereaved  ones : 
"  I  have  eaten  ashes  like  bread,  and  mingled  my 
drink  with  weeping.  Thou  hast  lifted  me  up,  and 
cast  me  down.  My  days  are  like  a  shadow  that  de- 
clineth ;  and  I  am  withered  like  grass.  But  thou,  O 
Lord,  shalt  endure  for  ever;  and  Thy  remembrance 
unto  all  generations.  Thou  shalt  arise,  and  have 
mercy  upon  Zion :  for  the  time  to  favour  her,  yea, 
the  set  time,  is  come." 

'  Thou  shalt  arise,  Thou  shalt  arise."  What 
blessed  prophetic  message  was  that  which  greeted 
Martha  on  her  return,  and  why  did  her  heart  leap 
within  her  and  burn  with  strange  excitement  ? 

She  paused  at  the  entrance  to  the  garden.  It 
would  not  do  to  arouse  the  suspicious  curiosity  of 
the  Jews  by  telling  them  that  Jesus  was  waiting  out- 
side the  little  town.  Drawing  her  veil  over  her  face, 
and  mingling  with  the  crowd,  she  wended  her  way 
through  the  porch  and  across  the  tesselated  court, 
where,  out  of  deference  to  the  dead,  the  small  bub- 
bling fountains  had  been  stopped.  She  sought  out 
her  sister  in  her  own  private  chamber.  There,  in 
sackcloth  and  ashes,  with  bowed  head,  praying  lest 
her  faith  should  die  a  moral  death,  sat  Mary. 

She  started  at  Martha's  voice  calling  in  subdued 
hoarse  tones:  "  Mary,  Mary,  the  Master  is  come 
and  calleth  for  thee." 

Mary  arose  with  feverish  haste.    She  had  expected 


l6o  LAZARUS. 

this,  so  the  message  brought  comfort  but  no 
wonder. 

"  He  waiteth  for  thee  just  without  the  gates  of 
the  village,"  resumed  Martha.  "  I  know  not  why 
He  calleth  for  thee,  but  there  is  that  in  His  words 
and  look  that  is  like  prophecy.  I  know  not  what 
hath  come  to  me,  but  this  day  doth  seem  full  of  im- 
port, and  I  feel  strangely  comforted  for  the  death  of 
our  dear  brother." 

"It  is  surely  because  thou  hast  been  with  the 
Lord,  and  He  hath  comforted  thy  soul,"  said  Mary. 
Then,  perceiving  that  the  court  was  crowded  with 
mourners,  she  whispered  to  Martha,  nervously: 
"  How  shall  we  keep  this  crowd  from  following 
us?" 

Then,  with  Eastern  disregard  for  any  privacy, 
with  that  gloating  over  horrors  which  is  the  charac- 
teristic of  all  the  lowly  classes  throughout  the  world, 
the  crowd  of  mourners,  seeing  the  two  women  pass 
out  silently  and  with  veiled  faces,  murmured  : 
'  They  go  unto  the  grave  to  weep  there."  And, 
as  if  the  sisters'  grief  was  theirs,  and  the  necessity 
of  sustaining  them  with  sympathy  amounted  to  a 
religious  law,  they  followed  them. 

Then,  when  the  sisters  took  the  opposite  road  to 
that  which  led  to  Lazarus's  grave,  they  fell  a-mur- 
muring.  Some  said:  "  Their  grief  hath  made  them 
mad."  Others,  "Whither  go  they?"  And  one 
derisive  voice  said  scoffingly:  "Maybe  that  Lazarus 
is  risen  and  they  go  forth  to  meet  him."  And  so, 
murmuring,  quarrelling,  and  wailing,  the  Jewish  peo- 
ple followed  the  two  women ;  till,  O  wonder  unex- 
pected and  to  be  marvelled  at  indeed,  they  led  them 


LAZARUS.  l6l 

to  the  presence  of  the  glorious  Jesus !  Impetuous 
as  ever,  fearing  revenge  or  treachery,  Peter  sprang 
forward,  as  though  to  stay  the  crowd. 

"  Are  ye  mad,  ye  women  ?  "  he  said  impulsively, 
"  to  bring  this  crowd  of  unbelieving  fools  to  the 
presence  of  our  Lord  ?  Do  ye,  too,  now  seek  to 
slay  Him  because  your  brother  Lazarus  is  dead  ?  " 

But  Mary,  conscious  only  that  her  Lord,  the  Mes- 
siah whom  she  loved,  was  there,  near  her  once  more, 
after  these  weeks  of  watching  and  waiting,  fell  down 
in  adoration  at  His  feet,  echoing,  but  not  in  re- 
proach, only  in  tender  faith  and  love,  the  words  of 
her  sister:  "  Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been  here,  my 
brother  had  not  died." 

And,  at  sight  of  her  great  grief  and  faith,  the  Jews 
who  stood  around  wept  too,  and  once  more  through 
the  olive  groves  resounded  the  wail  of  bitterness: 
"  Look  away  from  me,  look  away  from  me,  for  I 
will  weep  bitterly." 

Then,  in  their  half  belief,  reproaching  Him,  the 
Jews  cried  out:  "If  Thou  hadst  raised  Lazarus  we 
had  believed." 

No  earthly  pen  would  dare  describe,  no  human 
heart  can  realise  the  sympathy  and  mingled  grief  of 
the  Messiah.  Surely  never  was  the  union  of  the 
Godhead  and  the  Manhood  in  the  person  of  the 
Christ  more  strongly  manifested  than  at  the  death 
of  Lazarus  and  the  sorrow  of  his  sisters.  The  grief 
of  separation,  the  agony  at  having  been  absent,  the 
sorrow  of  the  two  women  He  loved ;  all  this  was  no 
less  acute  because  as  God  He  might  have  avoided  it. 
But  to  do  so  would  have  been  to  set  aside  His  man- 
hood, to  shirk  the  responsibilities  of  earthly  life.  It 


162  LAZARUS. 

was  as  if  the  power  of  God  had  been  for  a  brief  mo- 
ment laid  aside,  to  let  the  griefs  of  manhood  have 
their  sway ;  nay,  more,  it  was  as  if  Satan  had  been 
allowed  in  these  last  hours  to  tempt  the  Messiah 
with  a  temptation  that  assailed  alike  His  Godhead 
and  His  Manhood.  What  greater  temptation  to  the 
Man  than  to  use  His  God-given  energy  for  the  sake 
of  human  friendship  ?  What  to  the  God  than  to  as- 
sert His  power  by  one  transcendent  act  ?  What 
more  heartrending  task  than  to  wait  in  meek  submis- 
sion to  God's  will  amidst  the  taunts  of  scoffing  ene- 
mies and  the  tears  of  those  beloved  ? 

Jesus  wept.  Surely  all  earthly  grief  and  desola- 
tion, the  disillusion  of  friendship  that  has  failed,  the 
inability  of  expressing  one's  tenderness  to  those  one 
loves,  the  general  impotence  of  humanity,  are  for- 
ever comforted  by  those  divine  tears  wrung  forth 
from  the  aching  heart  of  the  sorrowing  Saviour. 
Slowly  they  rolled  down  those  troubled  features  on 
to  the  white  garment,  crystal  drops  of  mingled 
purity  and  love ;  but  they  were  not  allowed  to  fall 
to  earth. 

Ever  foremost  in  his  devotion,  John  pressed  for- 
ward and  stayed  them  in  their  course,  as  though  he 
would  fain  be  washed  in  those  pure  waters.  Yet 
one  fell  to  earth,  and,  as  it  fell,  a  snow-white  starry 
flower  with  seven  points  united  by  a  tiny  corona 
sprang  into  life. 

But  while  the  disciples  were  exclaiming  at  this 
wonder  and  trying  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  by- 
standers to  it,  the  cry  went  up:  "  Behold  how  He 
loved  him."  And  others  cried  again,  as  so  many 
had  cried  before:  "  Could  not  this  Man,  which 


LAZARUS.  163 

opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  have  caused  that  even 
this  man  should  not  have  died  ?  " 

The  hour  of  temptation  was  fast  passing  away, 
the  patient  submission  to  God's  will  was  near  to  its 
reward.  The  answer  to  the  prayer  of  the  Messiah 
was  close  at  hand,  His  groanings  and  His  trouble 
were  about  to  have  their  fruit. 

Gently,  in  a  voice  that  reached  only  the  two  wo- 
men, the  Nazarene  murmured:  "  Where  have  ye 
laid  him  ?" 

And  the  crowd,  hoping  and  half  believing  that,  at 
last,  it  was  to  see  the  miracle  the  nation  had  been 
expecting,  howled  and  shrieked:  "  Show  us  Lazarus 
and  we  will  believe. 

Mary,  in  much  humility,  entreated  the  Lord  to 
come  and  see  the  tomb  where  they  had  laid  him. 

Then,  when  the  cry  grew  ever  louder,  "  Show  us 
Lazarus  and  it  sufficeth  us,"  Thomas  approached 
the  crowd  and,  raising  his  hand  to  still  the  tumult : 
"Men  of  Israel,"  he  said,  "  wherefore  call  ye  for 
Lazarus  ?  Do  ye  not  remember  how  our  Lord 
spake  in  parables?  How  the  rich  man  did  call  to 
Abraham  from  hell,  and  cried  and  prayed  that  Laz- 
arus be  sent  unto  his  brothers  from  the  dead,  and 
how  Abraham  gave  answer:  "  If  they  hear  not 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  per- 
suaded though  one  rose  from  the  dead  '  ?  " 

But  they  cried  only  the  more :  "  Show  us  Lazarus, 
show  us  Lazarus, ' '  though  the  shouts  were  now  less 
boisterous. 

Then  Thomas  perceived  that  Jesus  was  already 
following  the  two  women  towards  the  tomb  of  Laza- 
rus, and  that  half  the  crowd  were  already  beginning 


164  LAZARUS. 

to  go  after  Him.  Many  faces  he  recognised  amongst 
them,  among  others  that  of  Nicodemus,  eager  and 
anxious.  Presently  he  came  up  to  Thomas. 

1  Why  asketh  He  where  they  have  laid  Laza- 
rus ?"  he  inquired  of  the  disciple.  "  Surely  He 
knoweth  all  things  ?  " 

"  Methinks  it  is  lest  the  Jews  should  imagine  that 
we  have  agreed  upon  some  trickery,  for  they  seek 
daily  to  destroy  the  Lord." 

'  Thinkest  thou  that  He  will  raise  Lazarus  ?  "  he 
continued. 

"  I  know  not;  it  seemeth  like  it;  but  who  can 
tell  ?  "  And  so,  discussing,  arguing,  inquiring,  bick- 
ering, the  little  band  of  Jews,  that  was  growing 
every  moment  thicker  as  one  passer-by  after  the 
other  swelled  its  ranks,  followed  the  two  bereaved 
sisters,  who  showed  the  way  to  the  Nazarene. 

Who  can  tell  what  thoughts  filled  the  soul  of  the 
God-Man  ?  Thoughts  of  God,  thoughts  of  friend- 
ship, thoughts  of  loving  sympathy  at  the  joy  He  was 
going  to  restore  to  the  house  at  Bethany.  Thoughts, 
perhaps,  of  His  own  death,  which  was  soon  to  follow 
the  resurrection  of  Lazarus. 

They  stood  opposite  to  the  grave  now.  It  was  a 
cave  hewn  from  one  single  piece  of  rock,  and  at  the 
entrance,  hiding  the  ghastly  sight,  the  corpse,  hate- 
ful to  the  Jewish  eyes  as  a  thing  defiled  and  unclean, 
stood  the  stone  that  Martha  had  insisted  on  having 
rolled  in  front  of  it  at  the  words  of  Annas.  From 
between  the  apertures  came  forth  the  sickly  odour 
of  frankincense  and  myrrh  and  other  spices,  with 
which  the  body  had  been  embalmed. 

In  silent  awe,  the  crowd  ceased  the  cries  that  were 


LAZARUS.  165 

some  of  taunt  and  some  of  praise,  and  the  two 
women  raised  their  eyes  in  sorrowing  anxiety ;  while 
the  Lord,  groaning  and  weeping,  stood  by  the 
grave,  with  eyes  upturned  to  heaven.  Meanwhile 
the  multitude  kept  increasing,  till  half  Jerusalem 
was  there  to  witness  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 

Closed  round  the  Lord,  to  keep  Him  from  harm's 
way,  stood  the  twelve,  the  traitor,  Iscariot,  on  the 
outside.  A  little  to  the  right  were  Mary  and 
Martha,  Mary  just  in  front  of  Judas ;  behind  them 
throngs  of  Jews,  attired  in  many-coloured  garbs  of 
red  and  blue  and  white  and  purple,  according  to 
their  rank  or  station. 

The  sun  beat  fiercely  on  their  heads,  for  the 
glorious  miracle  of  the  world  was  to  be  enacted  in 
the  full  light  of  day. 

Presently  Mary  felt  a  clutching  at  her  sleeve,  and 
starting,  half  in  terror,  half  in  bewilderment  at  being 
thus  roused  from  her  reflections,  she  almost  touched 
the  hideous  face  of  the  traitor  Judas,  that  was  peer- 
ing into  hers. 

"  Dost  not  fear  that,  because  of  this,  the  Lord 
will  die?" 

Mystified  by  his  words  and  still  more  at  the  look 
of  mingled  greed  and  craft  and  despair  upon  his  face, 
Mary  stepped  forward  to  bring  herself  away  from 
him.  But  he  thrust  out  his  head  and  hissed:  "  If 
Lazarus  doth  live  again,  then  surely  will  Jesus  die. 
His  blood  be  upon  thee  and  Martha,  and  upon  thy 
children  and  thy  children's  children." 

Terrified  and  amazed  at  this  uncalled-for  curse, 
Mary  was  about  to  make  reply,  when,  brief  and 
terse,  the  voice  of  the  Messiah  gave  command: 


1 66  LAZARUS. 

"  Take  ye  away  the  stone."  And  He  pointed  with 
his  finger  to  the  grave. 

The  hour  was  come.  But  a  few  moments  longer 
would  the  veil  be  stretched  between  the  power  of 
God  and  the  belief  of  man.  The  air  seemed  freighted 
with  portentous  marvels,  each  heart  palpitating  with 
suspense. 

The  disciples  sprang  forward  to  obey;  yet,  even 
now,  the  voice  of  unbelieving  common-sense,  of 
faithlessness,  of  law-bound  argument,  sounded  from 
Martha's  lips.  In  horror  and  no  simulated  terror, 
she  shrank  from  the  dread  sight  she  feared  would 
meet  her  eyes. 

"  Lord,  by  this  time  he  stinketh,  for  he  hath  been 
dead  four  days." 

With  a  gleam  almost  of  indignation  at  her  want  of 
belief,  her  worldly  clinging  to  the  social  rites  and 
conventionalities  of  Jewish  custom,  yet  able  still  to 
tolerate  the  iron-bound  limits  of  man's  narrowness, 
the  Nazarene  fixed  His  full  gaze  upon  her. 

"  Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that,  if  thou  wouldst  be- 
lieve, thou  shouldst  see  the  glory  of  God  ?  " 

Then,  as  the  breeze  chases  a  faint  ripple  from 
wavelet  to  wavelet,  there  rose  a  murmur  through 
the  multitude:  "  Verily  He  will  raise  him." 

Then  the  disciples  rolled  away  the  stone,  and  the 
restlessness  of  the  crowd  increased  ;  they  were  ready 
to  burst  into  shouts  of  praise  or  fall  in  adoring  wor- 
ship; but  the  impulse  was  restrained  by  gestures 
from  the  disciples  entreating  peace. 

In  the  glorious  splendour  of  that  Eastern  sun,  that 
glowed  with  an  added  brilliancy,  as  if  in  expectation 
of  the  stupendous  miracle  that  was  to  be  performed, 


LAZARUS.  167 

the  Saviour  stood.  Unabashed,  unflinching,  be- 
neath its  scorching  rays,  with  eyes  that  seemed  to 
pierce,  like  eagles,  through  the  circles  of  blazing 
light  beyond,  even  to  the  very  throne  of  truth  itself, 
to  the  feet  of  the  Eternal  I  Am,  the  Christ  uplifted 
His  fair  head  to  heaven ;  and  at  that  moment  forked 
tongues  of  fire,  silvery  and  golden,  like  the  sun 
dancing  on  waves,  or  a  shower  of  gold,  played  round 
about  His  head.  Then  the  Saviour  of  the  world 
upraised  His  voice  in  prayer  to  Heaven,  in  accents 
of  such  certainty  of  answer,  such  oneness  of  com- 
munion with  the  Father,  as  could  leave  no  doubt 
within  the  hearts  of  men ! 

"  Father,  I  thank  Thee  that  Thou  hast  heard  Me. 
And  I  knew  that  Thou  hearest  Me  always :  but  be- 
cause of  the  people  which  stand  by  I  said  it,  that 
they  may  believe  that  Thou  hast  sent  Me." 

There  was  a  momentary  silence,  while  the  crowd, 
believing  now,  without  a  doubt,  that  this  was  indeed 
the  Christ,  stood  also  with  eyes  upturned  to  heaven, 
waiting,  expecting,  for  they  knew  not  what ;  each 
weaving  in  his  own  fancy  the  next  act  of  this 
colossal  drama.  Then,  in  a  voice  that  thundered, 
as  though  calling  across  endless  aeons  of  years  and 
days,  and  floating  across  the  waves  of  time  and  of 
eternity,  beyond  the  bounds  of  heaven  and  hell, 
Jesus  gave  forth  those  words  that  ranked  Him  God : 
"  Lazarus,  come  forth!  " 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

AND  Lazarus  came  forth.  A  faint  twitching  of 
the  members,  a  sort  of  convulsive  tremor  run- 
ning from  the  head  to  foot,  was  all  the  multitude 
could  see,  as  they  pressed  forward,  a  seething  mass 
of  tightly  packed  humanity,  to  witness  this  final  and 
gigantic  miracle. 

In  the  doorway  of  the  cave  stood  Lazarus,  scarce 
able  to  move  for  the  tight  swathing  of  his  grave 
clothes.  His  hands  were  tied  close  to  his  sides,  and 
his  face  was  bound  about  with  a  napkin.  Standing 
there,  he  looked  like  some  earth-sodden  mummy, 
taken  out  of  a  sarcophagus  and  stood  on  end,  or  like 
a  statue  hewn  in  stone.  No  features,  no  colouring 
of  life  were  visible.  Immovable  he  stqod  and 
waited,  while  thousands  of  hearts  seemed  almost  to 
cease  to  beat,  checked,  as  it  were,  by  some  magic 
awe-inspiring  wand.  There  are  moments  when  no 
cry  of  ecstasy,  no  shouts  of  applause,  no  clamour  of 
approbation,  can  express  the  quiverings  of  admira- 
tion, wrung  from  a  fanatical  crowd,  like  a  hushed 
silence  that  dares  not  utter  sound.  And  so  it  was 
on  this  unmatched  occasion.  A  terrible  quiet,  as  if 
a  destroying  angel  had  struck  the  bystanders  dumb, 
had  fallen  on  all ;  an  awful  thrill  that  seemed  to  lock 
together  by  magnetic  force  in  one  great  manacle  the 
soul  of  each  onlooker;  a  terrible  faintness  as  of 

1 68 


LAZARUS.  169 

death ;  a  blinding  of  the  eyes,  as  though  the  sun's 
too-scorching  rays  had  struck  the  eyeballs;  and, 
here  and  there,  a  dumb  opening  of  the  mouth  as  if 
to  speak,  though  utterance  could  not  come.  A 
sickening  dread,  as  if  heaven  and  hell  would  open 
wide  their  gates  to  them.  This,  and  far  more  than 
this,  fell  on  the  Jews,  and  the  crowd,  that  had  denied 
the  Christ  and  clamoured  to  see  Lazarus  alive,  were 
satisfied,  each  doubt  laid  still,  each  question  an- 
swered. The  power  of  the  Eternal  had  been 
shown. 

What  could  they  do  but  fall  down  in  adoration 
and  belief  ?  This  would  come,  but  meantime  the 
multitude,  from  sheer  excitement,  wept. 

One  voice  alone  was  raised  in  doubt. 

"  Is  it  indeed  he  ?  " 

It  came  from  one  well  known  to  the  Nazarene.  It 
was  a  voice  He  loved,  as  often  it  is  the  voice  one 
loves  the  best  that  wounds  the  most. 

It  was  Thomas  the  unbeliever  who  had  spoken — 
Thomas,  to  whom  faith  came  ever  hardly,  yet  who 
loved  the  Lord.  But  the  words  had  lashed  the 
seeming  feverishness  of  silence  into  a  living  cry. 

"  Is  it  he  ?  Is  it  he,  or  is  it  another  ?  Show  us 
thy  face!  Art  thou  indeed  Lazarus  ?  " 

"  Loose  him  and  let  him  go,"  commanded  the 
Messiah,  for  all  answer;  but  the  voice  that  had 
spoken  with  such  force  to  raise  the  dead  man  from 
the  grave  was  weary  now,  and  tired  and  disap- 
pointed. Even  now,  when  the  great  miracle  was 
over,  when  God  Himself  had  seemed  to  bow  to  earth 
to  fashion  the  triumph  of  His  Son ;  when  heaven 
and  hell,  at  His  command,  had  thrown  back  their 


I7O  LAZARUS. 

portals  to  let  the  spirit  enchained  of  God  return  to 
earth;  when  the  great  fulfilment  of  a  nation's 
yearning  had  come  to  pass;  still  they  believed  not 
fully.  Would  they  believe  when,  mounted  high  on 
a  tree  of  shame,  should  hang  the  Son  of  God,  in 
proof  of  boundless  love  ?  Would  they  believe  when 
He  should  be  seated  on  a  cloud  weighted  with  God's 
own  glory  to  be  worthy  to  bear  the  Conqueror  of 
sin  to  heaven  ?  No.  The  answer  to  His  agonised 
prayer  had  been  accorded;  the  great  experiment, 
the  precursor  of  the  greater  love  to  come,  had  been 
completed ;  science,  suspicion,  philosophy,  conven- 
tionality, the  laws  of  this  world  and  the  next,  all 
had  been  overruled ;  yet  from  the  voice  of  His  own 
follower  had  come  the  cry  of  doubt,  sprung  up  again, 
like  some  posionous  weed  that  will  not  be  denied  its 
growth. 

The  tears  of  Christ  had  been  shed  in  vain ;  Laza- 
rus returned  but  to  tread  in  the  same  pastures,  on 
the  same  piercing  thorns,  to  battle  once  more  with 
the  same  enemy  who  had  lived  in  the  hearts  of  men 
while  Lazarus  died. 

None  at  first  durst  approach  the  motionless  body ; 
then  John,  the  beloved  of  the  Lord,  stepped  forward 
at  his  Lord's  behest. 

One  by  one  John  cut  with  the  dagger  that  hung 
by  his  side  the  cords  that  bound  the  hands  and  feet, 
leaving  to  the  last  the  face ;  but  whether  he  feared  to 
look  on  Lazarus,  or  wished  to  keep  them  in  sus- 
pense, not  one  could  tell.  Meanwhile  the  crowd 
continued  silent,  almost  breathless.  At  last  the 
napkin  fell,  and  Lazarus  stood  there  in  all  the  beauty 
of  his  countenance. 


LAZARUS.  I/I 

Then  rose  such  an  uproar  as  could  be  heard  almost 
at  Jerusalem.  'T  was  as  if  a  million  lions  roared  by 
the  shores  of  a  stormy  sea.  Some  prostrated  them- 
selves, women  shrieked,  some  even  dropped  down 
dead  with  wonder;  while  little  children,  paralysed 
with  fear,  hid  their  sweet  faces  in  their  mothers' 
robes  and  howled. 

Soldiers  forgot  to  keep  order.  In  the  tumult  no 
voice  was  granted  precedence.  All  was  confusion 
and  astonishment  and  fear,  except  where  here  and 
there  some  fell  in  adoring  worship  at  the  Messiah's 
feet ;  others  tore  down  the  hill  towards  Jerusalem  to 
tell  the  first  news  to  the  Pharisees  of  what  the 
Nazarene  had  done. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

"  T^HE   Magdalene  standeth  without  and  asketh 
1       audience  of  thee."     These  were  the  words 
that  greeted  Pontius  Pilate  immediately  on  entering 
the  audience  chamber. 

"  'T  is  a  strange  request,"  the  Procurator  mur- 
mured; "  yet  methinks  it  may  have  somewhat  to 
do  with  the  rumour  that  hath  reached  my  ears,  that 
Caiaphas  did  see  her  yesterday  and  also  the  mother 
of  the  Nazarene.  I  was  about  to  look  into  this,  for, 
even  if  he  go  so  far  in  his  hate  of  the  Nazarene  as 
to  persecute  Him,  and  even  slay  Him,  this  frighten- 
ing of  women  doth  ill  become  a  high  priest,  and  I 
will  have  none  of  it." 

Then,  turning  to  the  soldier,  he  said:  "  Bid  her 
pass  in." 

Weary  with  her  night  of  watching,  pale,  yet  ever 
beautiful,  the  Magdalene  came  into  the  presence  of 
the  Roman  Governor. 

'What  wouldst  thou,  Mary?"  asked  Pontius 
Pilate,  with  that  tone  of  temperate  kindliness  that 
showed  his  wish  to  give  justice  and  consideration  to 
all.  '  Thy  request  must  be  made  short,  for  I  have 
much  to  do  this  day.  By  midday  I  must  meet  Caia- 
phas at  the  Tribunal,  where  the  question  of  the  re- 
leasing of  a  captive  to  the  people  will  be  finally 
decided.  Doubtless  't  is  touching  this  that  thou  art 

172 


LAZARUS.  173 

come,  and  to  plead  for  the  Nazarene;  for  I  hear 
that  thou  art  altogether  gone  over  to  His  teaching. 
'T  is  true  that  He  is  not  yet  arrested ;  but,  doubt- 
less, thou  hast  heard  that  He  is  being  sought  for  by 
the  soldiers." 

"  Nay,  most  noble  Roman,  I  come  not  to  beg  the 
life  of  the  Christ.  For  the  good  of  the  nation  it 
must  needs  be  that  He  die.  He  Himself  doth  hourly 
prepare  for  that  great  day  of  grief.  I  have  a  mes- 
sage for  thee  from  Nicodemus." 

Then,  glancing  round  at  the  two  soldiers,  who 
stood  one  on  each  side  of  the  doorway,  she  con- 
tinued meekly:  "  But  what  I  have  to  say  is  for  the 
ear  of  Pontius  Pilate  only." 

Pilate  waved  his  hand  to  the  soldiers  to  leave  the 
room ;  also  to  the  scribe  who,  with  feigned  diligence, 
was  writing  in  a  corner  of  the  room,  shooting  sala- 
cious glances  at  the  Magdalene,  and  hopeful  that 
Pontius  Pilate  would  forget  his  presence. 

"  And  thou  too,  thou  eavesdropper,"  said  Pontius 
Pilate  with  a  laugh,  noting  the  direction  of  the  Mag- 
dalene's eyes.  "  Thou  too  canst  go,  and,  if  thou 
wilt  listen,  listen  without  the  door." 

Then  the  Magdalene  stepped  nearer  to  the  table 
at  which  the  Governor  was  seated. 

"  Will  Pontius  Pilate  pledge  his  honour  to  a  poor 
woman,"  said  the  Magdalene,  "  that  the  words 
which  I  shall  speak  to  thee  this  day  no  ears  but 
thine  shall  ever  hear  ?  " 

"  I  promise  thee  on  my  honour  as  a  Roman.  I 
swear  to  thee  on  the  life  of  my  wife,  whom  I  hold 
most  dear  of  all  that  I  possess,  that  no  one  shall  ever 
hear  again  the  words  thou  shalt  say  to  me  this  day." 


1/4  LAZARUS. 

"  I  believe  thee,  most  noble  Pontius,"  said  the 
Magdalene  simply.  Then,  in  an  awe-struck  voice, 
that  had  in  it  a  strange  impressiveness,  she  said : 
"  To-morrow  Lazarus  will  be  raised  from  the  dead." 

Pilate  started.  '  Woman,  what  sayest  thou  ? 
How  knowest  thou?" 

"  Verily  't  is  true,  most  noble  Pilate.  Lazarus 
hath  visited  me  this  morn  and  told  me  so." 

"  Then,  if  Lazarus  came  to  thee,  he  is  not  dead," 
said  Pontius  musingly. 

"  'T  was  but  his  spirit,  noble  Roman.  His  body 
hath  lain  in  the  grave  three  days.  If  thou  wilt  send 
to  see,  thou  wilt  find  that  he  is  still  there.  Indeed, 
a  Roman  soldier  guardeth  it." 

Pilate  rose  and  walked  to  the  window ;  then,  after 
a  few  minutes'  silence,  he  turned  to  the  Magdalene : 
"  Almost  I  believe  thee,  woman,  for  thou  speakest 
in  tones  of  truth.  Yet  how  can  I  help  thee  in  this 
matter?  Why  comest  thou  to  me?"  The  last 
words  were  uttered  almost  impatiently,  as  though  he 
disputed  the  responsibility  she  would  fasten  upon 
him. 

"  Ah,  noble  Pilate,  it  is  well  known  throughout 
all  Jewry  that  thou  and  thy  wife  Claudia  do  love  the 
Nazarene. " 

"  Love  is  a  strong  word,  woman,"  answered  Pon- 
tius Pilate;  I  do  much  admire  this  Nazarene  for 
His  power  and  for  His  courage,  in  that  He  feareth 
not  death,  and  also  doth  try  to  redress  the  wrongs 
of  the  afflicted ;  for  a  redresser  of  wrong  is  at  all 
times  deemed  a  madman.  My  wife,  too,  hath  filled 
my  thoughts  with  talk  of  Him  of  late,  for  she,  like 
all  women,  hath  a  weakness  for  them  who  defy  the 


LAZARUS.  175 

law.     Withal  I  reckon  Him  not  the  Christ. "     Then, 
with  more  earnestness  he  asked:  "  Dost  thou  ?  " 

'  Yea,  I  know  it,  noble  Pilate.  He  is  the  Lord, 
and  I  am  here  to  implore  thee  to  come  and  see  Him 
raise  Lazarus,  for  then  thou,  too,  wilt  believe."  As 
she  said  these  words,  she  fell  down  at  the  feet  of 
Pilate.  "  I  beseech  thee,  oh,  I  beseech  thee,  O 
Pilate,  come  and  believe!  " 

Pilate  frowned,  and  a  great  melancholy  and  a  look 
of  doubt  came  over  his  face. 

"  Thou  temptest  me  sore,"  he  said,  "  and  to 
refuse  so  fair  a  woman  doth  go  against  my  wish ; 
but  what  would  all  Judaea  say;  nay,  more,  what 
would  Caesar  say,  if  he  should  hear  that  I  had  as- 
sembled myself  with  the  believers  in  this  Nazarene 
to  see  His  miracles  ?  " 

'  What  matter  what  they  say  ?  "  pleaded  the  Mag- 
dalene. "  Surely  if  to  follow  the  Nazarene  bring 
even  death,  't  were  better  far  to  die  in  Christ  than 
to  live  denying  Him." 

More  moved  than  he  durst  show,  Pontius  Pilate 
answered:  "Thou  speakest  but  lightly  of  death, 
fair  woman.  Surely  this  Nazarene  hath  wondrous 
power,  for  even  I,  a  Roman,  quail  when  I  think  of 
death." 

"  'T  is  no  death  to  die  in  Christ,"  rejoined  the 
Magdalene.  'T  is  but  to  live  again  forever." 

'  That  is  His  creed,  I  know,  but  I  cannot  accept 
it.  I  dare  not  come."  Then,  fearing  that  she 
would  press  him  further,  he  murmured  something 
about  the  hour. 

Rising  to  go,  the  Magdalene  shot  yet  a  wistful 
glance  towards  him.  But  his  eyes  were  gazing  at 


1/6  LAZARUS. 

the  deep  blue  sky  or  the  waving  palm  that  stood 
against  it.  The  very  air  seemed  heavy  with  import- 
ance. Presently,  with  a  swift  impulse,  Pilate  came 
close  to  her,  and  looking  at  her  lovely  face,  now  puri- 
fied and  refined  by  her  new  life,  he  said:  "  Fare- 
well, woman,  and  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast 
thought  to  save  my  soul.  Pontius  Pilate  hath  many 
troubles,  and  the  greatest  is,  that  he  cannot  under- 
stand. Carry  a  message  to  thy  brethren  that,  if  I  can, 
I  will  save  the  Nazarene ;  for,  be  He  the  Christ  or 
be  He  man,  He  doth  deserve  to  live." 

Sadly  the  Magdalene  turned  to  go. 

"  Mary,  one  word  more,"  called  Pilate  after  her. 
"  If  thou  shouldst  have  speech  with  the  Nazarene, 
tell  Him  I  fain  would  save  Him  if  I  could." 

'  The  Lord  knoweth  what  is  in  the  hearts  of  all 
men,"  said  the  Magdalene.  "  We  will  pray  that 
thou  mayst  believe."  And  so,  sad  at  the  failure  of 
her  mission,  she  departed. 

When  the  door  had  closed  behind  her,  Pilate  rang 
a  bell  that  was  on  his  table.  When  the  centurion 
appeared — he  had  been  wondering  at  the  long  inter- 
view with  the  Magdalene — he  said :  "  Bid  a  man  ride 
at  once  to  Bethany  and  bring  me  word  where  the 
body  of  Lazarus  lies.  But  mind,  not  a  word  to  any 
else,  or  it  will  be  chains  instead  of  women's  arms 
around  his  neck  this  night.  Bid  him  ride  quickly." 

But  Pilate  sat  gazing  out  into  space,  with  a  sort  of 
vague  surprise  that  the  world  still  looked  as  it  had 
looked  the  day  before,  and  musing  on  the  imper- 
fection of  man's  understanding.  Surely,  if  this 
were  the  God,  we  should  all  know  it. 

At  the  Sanhedrim  he  met  Caiaphas.     The  meet- 


LAZARUS.  177 

ing  between  the  two  was  not  a  friendly  one.  It  was 
impossible  for  a  fearless,  straightforward  man  like 
Pilate  to  have  much  in  common  with  the  wily  Jew 
whose  intriguing  seemed  to  be  how  to  intrigue  still 
more.  The  attitude,  till  now,  of  Pontius  Pilate 
towards  him  had  been  that  of  a  man  who  stands  on 
his  own  unquestioned  power,  and  yet  acknowledges 
what  another  has  attained  by  cunning.  Surely 
these  Jews  were  highly  gifted.  Yes,  it  pleased 
Pilate  to  draw  out  the  High  Priest,  to  appeal  to  his 
pride,  to  his  learning,  his  high  position — and  then 
to  mock  him.  There  was  nothing  noble  in  the  soul 
of  Caiaphas.  He  would  have  descended  to  any 
depth  of  cringing,  provided  he  were  certain  of  his 
company.  With  Pilate,  whom  he  feared,  he  did  not 
cringe,  but  put  on  an  assumed  indifference  he  was  far 
from  feeling.  Pilate  had  once  said  with  curious 
truth  that  the  beginning  and  ending  of  Caiaphas  was 
himself. 

To-day  both  were  troubled  by  the  same  cause. 
The  humble  Carpenter,  the  Nazarene,  the  despised 
and  rejected  of  men,  had  yet  had  power  to  wring 
the  withers  of  the  two  chief  governors  of  Israel ;  but 
the  difference  of  the  two  men  was  this — Pilate  longed 
to  believe.  If  he  could  have  believed,  power  and 
wealth  would  have  been  laid  aside.  Caiaphas  did 
believe,  but  as  the  devils,  we  are  told,  believe  and 
tremble.  He  was  closing  up  each  corner  of  his 
heart,  stopping,  like  the  deaf  adder,  his  ears,  for  fear 
that  true  belief  should  come  and  force  submission, 
and  thus  wrest  from  him  power  and  temporal  glory. 
Better  the  substance  than  the  shadow.  Better 
Caiaphas  worshipped  by  the  populace,  bowed  down 


178  LAZARUS. 

to,  besought  and  feared,  than  a  humble  doorkeeper, 
perhaps,  in  the  house  of  the  Lord. 

In  these  days  Caiaphas  rarely  read  the  prophets, 
lest  some  text  of  his  own  choosing  should  confound 
him.  The  man  he  least  desired  to  see  was  Pilate. 
The  man  Pilate  most  desired  to  see  was  Caiaphas. 
No  Roman  could  fail  to  know  that  Judaea  was  ruled 
by  the  letter  of  the  law.  A  legal  education  was  con- 
sidered the  most  important  in  the  schools,  a  strict 
adherence  to  the  Mosaic  ordinances  enforced  by 
severest  penalty  at  the  earliest  age.  As  enlighten- 
ment brought  wider  range  of  ideas,  so  the  law  of  the 
Sabbath  grew  more  rigid,  the  noose  of  the  Mosaic 
Law  was  drawn  the  tighter  round  the  people's  necks. 
No  one  coming  from  an  outside  world,  and  an  inde- 
pendent one,  like  that  of  Rome,  could  fail  to  see 
that  the  law  of  Moses  was  but  wielded  as  a  sceptre 
of  despotism  over  a  lawyer-ridden  country.  The 
day  would  come  when  Rome  itself  would  take  some 
hints  and  terrify  its  own  people  by  the  tyranny  of 
an  enforced  religion  that  brooked  no  resistance,  that 
made  even  argument  a  sin,  that  made  absolute  the 
dominion  of  the  law. 

It  was  easy  to  see,  thought  Pilate,  why  the  chief 
priests  feared  the  Nazarene,  for  by  His  miracles  He 
completed  prophecy,  and  by  His  actions  enforced 
the  commandments  of  the  Mosaic  Law;  thus  con- 
founding the  tyranny  of  perverted  argument  exer- 
cised by  the  Pharisees  and  priests  for  their  own  ends 
and  crushing  out  by  such  fulfilments  the  slanderous 
assertions  disseminated  by  His  enemies  that  His 
doctrines  were  opposed  to  the  teaching  of  the  Scrip- 
tures or  the  ordinances  of  the  Jewish  law. 


LAZARUS.  179 

When  Pilate  descended  the  steps  of  the  Tribunal, 
where,  half  from  absence  of  mind  and  half  from  a 
great  half-formed  uncertainty,  he  had  tempered  jus- 
tice with  no  unsparing  hand,  he  saw  Caiaphas  hurry- 
ing on  in  front. 

"  Art  loath  to  meet  me,  Caiaphas  ?  "  he  said  to 
himself.  Then,  turning  to  a  centurion,  he  bid 
him  follow  the  High  Priest  and  ask  him  whether  he 
could  have  speech  with  him  in  the  ante-chamber  or 
at  his  dwelling.  "  'T  is  one  to  me,"  he  said,  "  so  I 
have  speech  with  him." 

More  feelings  than  one  made  Caiaphas  avoid  a 
meeting  with  the  Procurator.  Anger  and  fear  con- 
tended in  his  heart,  and  the  two  are  ill-matched  com- 
panions. He  was  angry  with  Pilate  for  letting  go 
free  the  two  Roman  soldiers  whom  he  had  sent  up 
for  trial  for  not  obeying  his  orders  to  lay  hands  on 
the  Nazarene.  Indeed,  they  had  played  a  double 
game,  for,  instead  of  returning  to  own  themselves 
defeated,  they  had  appealed  to  Pilate,  and  thus 
forestalled  Caiaphas's  complaint  of  them. 

"  Everything  leadeth  me  to  believe  that  this  man 
thinketh  the  Nazarene  to  be  the  Christ,"  he  mut- 
tered to  himself.  Then  he  feared  a  little  what 
Pilate  would  say  at  his  having  dared  to  attempt  to 
lay  hands  on  the  Nazarene,  without  first  asking  his 
permission.  Further,  if  it  had  come  to  Pilate's  ears 
that  he  had  visited  Bethany  in  the  company  of  Nico- 
demus  and  sent  for  the  two  Marys  to  inquire  of 
them,  then  indeed  Pilate  could  scoff  with  reason. 

"  Tell  the  illustrious  Governor  that  I  have  much 
to  write  this  morning,"  was  the  message  he  returned 
to  Pilate,  hoping  that  his  insolence  might  so  offend 


ISO  LAZARUS. 

him  that  he  would  stay  away ;  but  the  proud  Roman 
would  brook  no  such  messages. 

'  Tell  the  High  Priest  that  his  writing  must  needs 
wait  until  to-morrow,  for  that  I  must  have  speech 
with  him,  and  that  I  am  even  now  upon  my  road. 
Ye  Jewish  people  have  yet  to  learn  courtesy  of 
speech,"  he  muttered  to  himself;  but,  on  the  road, 
his  strange  musings  returned  to  him,  and,  weary 
with  the  searchings  of  his  heart,  he  forgot  his  anger 
and  impatience. 

For  one  moment  there  was  an  awkward  silence, 
the  two  men  reclining  on  couches  drawn  close 
together,  a  custom  the  Romans  had  introduced. 

Caiaphas  was  puzzled  to  know  what  had  brought 
Pilate  there ;  and  Pilate  was  debating  how  to  begin 
his  questionings  without  exhibiting  too  great  an  in- 
terest in  the  Nazarene. 

"  I  have  much  to  discuss  with  thee,  Caiaphas,"  he 
began.  '  The  Feast  of  the  Passover  is  at  hand,  and 
the  question  of  whom  we  shall  release  is  not  to  be 
lightly  settled.  The  people  do  expect  that  one 
shall  be  delivered  unto  them.  Who  sayest  thou, 
then,  should  be  released  ?  " 

The  wily  Jew  joined  his  finger-tips  and  appeared 
to  muse  awhile ;  though,  in  reality,  he  was  watching 
Pilate's  face  from  the  corner  of  his  eye.  Pilate,  too, 
looked  away  to  hide  the  anxiety  that  was  gnawing 
at  his  heart,  lest  another  name  than  the  Nazarene's 
should  cross  the  lips  of  the  priest  he  had  begun  to 
hate.  For  he  knew  that  Caiaphas  would  lay  hands 
on  Jesus;  and,  in  such  case,  Pilate  desired  to  set 
Him  free.  Both  men  were  silent,  while  each  tried 
to  cheat  the  other.  Brain  against  brain  was  pitted, 


LAZARUS.  l8l 

each  anxious  to  use  his  ingenuity  for  his  own  ends, 
each  reluctant  to  breathe,  either  in  favour  or  dis- 
favour, the  name  that  lay  nearest  to  the  lips  of  both. 

"  Methinks  Barabbas  hath  a  great  claim,"  said 
Caiaphas  presently.  "  He  hath  lain  long  in  prison, 
and  for  not  so  grievous  a  fault ;  for,  though  he  slew 
the  Pharisee,  methinks  he  slew  him  but  in  self- 
defence." 

"  Thou  growest  merciful,"  said  Pilate  scornfully, 
irritated,  he  scarce  knew  why. 

"  'T  is  ever  a  priest's  place  to  be  merciful,  inas- 
much as  he  expecteth  mercy,"  replied  Caiaphas,  in 
his  dissembling  unctuousness. 

A  flush  of  anger  came  over  Pilate's  face,  and  the 
words  of  the  Nazarene  recurred  to  him :  "  Woe  unto 
ye,  Pharisees,  hypocrites."  Then,  pushing  into  the 
thickness  of  his  own  mental  conflict,  he  went  on : 
"  What  saith  Annas  ?  Doth  he,  too,  recommend 
Barabbas  ?  "  He  knew  full  well  he  had  given  Caia- 
phas the  opening  he  desired,  and  had  speeded  the 
conversation  in  the  turn  he  would  fain  have  it  take. 

"  Well,  since  thou  askest  me,  noble  Pilate,"  re- 
plied the  priest,  striving  to  make  his  voice  indifferent 
as  well  as  temperate,  "  Annas  is  not  content  only 
with  the  releasing  of  Barabbas ;  he  would  have  fur- 
ther the  Nazarene  condemned  at  the  Feast  of  the 
Passover." 

"  Does  he,  too,  fear  Him  ?"  asked  Pilate  with 
increasing  scorn. 

"  None  fear  Him,"  replied  Caiaphas,  pretending 
to  ignore  the  caustic  remark.  "  None  fear  Him; 
but  it  is  a  law  of  the  Jews  that,  if  one  call  himself 
the  Son  of  God,  he  shall  die  the  death." 


1 82  LAZARUS. 

Then,  with  strange  passion,  and  a  vehemence  too 
powerful  to  be  repressed,  Pilate  shot  out  the  words : 
"  And  if  He  be  the  Son  of  God,  what  then,  most 
noble  Caiaphas  ? " 

This  was  a  question  too  wide  for  Caiaphas  to  deal 
with  unconsidered,  too  unexpected  to  be  readily  re- 
plied to ;  but,  ever  an  adept  at  cunning,  Caiaphas 
rejoined  with  subtlety:  "  Dost  think  He  is  ?  " 

Then  Pilate  remembered  all  the  risks  he  would 
run,  should  he  side  openly  with  the  Nazarene ;  nor 
was  he  assured  enough  in  his  own  mind  to  answer 
with  full  confidence. 

"  I  ask  thee  a  question,  and  thou  answerest  me 
with  another,"  he  said  impatiently.  "  Give  me  thy 
answer,  for  thou  art  great  in  argument  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  law,  and  I  would  argue  with  thee, 
as  we  do  in  the  Tribunal ;  for  argument  hath  that 
good  about  it  that  oft  two  lies  do  form  a  truth ;  and, 
when  one  doth  controvert  the  other,  he  that  contra- 
dicteth  contradicteth  what  he  himself  doth  think  to 
make  the  other  in  his  turn  contradict  again;  thus, 
much  is  learned,  and  the  truth  is  often  come  at ;  for 
both  sides  are  openly  discussed,  and  the  judge  hath 
means  thereby  to  form  his  judgment. 

"  Say,  if  this  were  the  Son  of  God  and  we  should 
condemn  Him,  how  would  it  be  in  the  Judgment 
Day  ?  What  say  the  prophets  will  be  done  of  him 
that  destroyeth  the  Son  of  God  ?  " 

"  If  He  were  the  Son  of  God,"  rejoined  Caiaphas, 
guarded  in  his  answer,  yet  interested  in  the  argu- 
ment, "  He  could  not  be  destroyed  by  human 
hands." 

"  Then  I  will  ask  thee  yet  another  question,  Caia- 


LAZARUS.  183 

phas,  for  I  am  in  the  mood  to  prove  thy  learning  and 
my  own.  Dost  believe  that  a  Messiah  will  come  ? " 

"  Most  assuredly,"  said  Caiaphas.  "  All  the 
prophets  say  so." 

"  I  accept  thy  answer,"  rejoined  Pilate,  with  an 
elated  look.  "  Then,  if  the  Messiah  hath  yet  to 
come,  how  thinkest  thou  that  He  will  come,  and 
whence,  and  when  ?  " 

"  Such  momentous  problems,  noble  Procurator, 
take  much  time  and  thought  to  solve.  Methinks  it 
would  be  better  to  choose  an  occasion  when  business 
presseth  less." 

"  Nay,  nay,  my  friend,"  replied  Pontius  Pilate 
hastily;  "  where  a  man's  life  is  in  the  balance  mat- 
ters surely  press;  and,  if  this  man  be  a  Messiah,  for 
sure  there  is  no  more  urgent  matter  to  you  and  to 
me  and  to  the  whole  world ;  but  answer  me,  Caia- 
phas :  How  thinkest  thou  the  real  Messiah  will  come? 
How  is  it  written  ?  " 

Caiaphas  hesitated,  from  no  ignorance,  but  that 
he  was  revolving  in  his  mind  how  far  he  would  be 
compromised  if  he  should  quote  the  prophets;  and, 
betwixt  fear  of  seeming  ignorant  and  dread  of  com- 
promising himself,  he  was  sorely  troubled.  Then 
he  replied:  "  Zechariah  hath  said,  'Behold,  thy 
King  cometh  unto  thee:  He  is  just,  and  having  sal- 
vation ;  lowly,  and  riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a 
colt  the  foal  of  an  ass.'  ' 

The  words  seemed  to  come  reluctantly  from  his 
lips,  as  though  he  were  the  unwilling  mouthpiece  of 
the  prophecy.  Then,  as  if  to  conceal  their  full  sig- 
nificance, he  added:  "But  there  are  many  other 
things  that  hath  not  yet  come  to  pass.  It  saith 


1 84  LAZARUS. 

again :  '  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that 
light  shall  not  be  clear  nor  dark.  But  it  shall  be 
one  day  which  shall  be  known  to  the  Lord,  not  day, 
nor  night :  but  it  shall  come  to  pass,  at  evening  time 
it  shall  be  light.'  Then  again  it  saith  (here  the  High 
Priest  raised  his  voice  to  an  even,  monotonous  pitch, 
as  though  prophesying  in  the  Synagogue)  in  another 
place  that  '  the  mountains  shall  be  removed.'  But 
all  these  signs  are  not  yet  come. ' ' 

Then,  with  curling  lip,  Pontius  Pilate  asked  in  a 
tone  of  assumed  indifference:  "  Dost  remember  a 
passage  (for  I  too  at  times  do  read  the  prophets) 
in  the  prophet  Malachi  ?  '  And  now,  O  priests,  this 
commandment  is  for  you.  If  ye  will  not  hear,  and 
if  ye  will  not  lay  it  to  heart,  to  give  glory  unto  My 
name,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  I  will  even  send  a 
curse  upon  you,  and  I  will  curse  your  blessings :  yea, 
I  have  cursed  them  already,  because  ye  do  not  lay 
it  to  heart.  For  the  priests'  lips  should  keep  know- 
ledge, and  they  should  seek  the  law  at  His  mouth: 
for  He  is  the  messenger  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts.'  ' 

Caiaphas  flushed  a  deep  crimson,  and  his  lips  grew 
white  at  the  words  of  Pilate. 

In  a  bitter  tone  he  answered :  "  Thou  speakest  in 
parables,  noble  Procurator;  I  understand  thee  not." 

"  My  meaning  was,"  said  Pilate,  smiling  to  him- 
self, "  to  ask  thee  whether  thou  hast  no  fear,  sup- 
posing that,  after  all,  this  were  the  Christ,  that  thou 
thyself  mayst  meet  with  eternal  death,  if  so  be  thou 
hast  wrongly  understood  the  message  of  the  Lord." 

"Eternal  life,  eternal  death,  who  knoweth  of  these 
things?"  asked  Caiaphas  impatiently,  yet  with  a 
troubled  look. 


LAZARUS.  185 

"  Thou  art,  then,  verily  a  Sadducee,  like  Annas 
thy  father-in-law,  and  thy  wife  his  daughter.  Verily 
women  have  great  power  in  this  our  day. ' ' 

And  his  thoughts  went  back  to  his  own  wife, 
Claudia,  who  had  stated  her  belief  in  Jesus  and  who 
dreamed  so  strangely. 

'  Yet  I  would  ask  thee  further,  noble  Caiaphas, 
for  of  all  our  speech  no  certain  thing  hath  come ;  nei- 
ther whether  this  be  the  Christ,  nor  whom  we  shall 
release  at  the  Feast  of  Passover.  Answer  me ;  if,  as 
ye  Sadducees  believe,  there  be  no  resurrection,  what 
profiteth  a  man  to  do  good  or  evil?  And  why,  then, 
fast  ye  ?  Surely  't  is  loss  of  time  to  be  sad,  if  there 
be  no  ensuing  good.  If  't  is  true,  let  us  waste  no 
time;  let  us  make  merry,  Caiaphas,  let  us  eat  and 
drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die." 

Pilate  laughed  at  his  own  words,  in  which  there 
was  a  scornful  ring.  Then,  lowering  his  voice,  went 
on:  "In  truth,  Caiaphas,  hath  it  not  a  little  truth, 
this  saying  of  the  Nazarene  that  hath  upset  thee  so 
— That  ye  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  against 
men,  and  ye  neither  go  in  yourselves  nor  suffer  them 
that  are  entering  to  go  in  ?  " 

"  I  am  no  Pharisee,"  said  the  High  Priest  an- 
grily. 

"  How  then  art  thou  a  ruler  of  Israel  ?  "  asked 
Pontius  Pilate  laughing;  "  for  they  were  mostly 
chosen  of  the  Pharisees ;  but  methinks  the  world  is 
upside  down,  for  Judaea  hath  strange  intruders  that 
yet  do  rule  her.  We  have  the  Idumsean  Antipas  and 
Philo  and  other  Alexandrian  Jews,  and  even  Greeks ; 
yet  the  Greeks  and  their  influence  are  hated  of  the 
Jews.  Thou  art  here  to  preach  salvation  to  the  peo- 


1 86  LAZARUS. 

pie,  and  thou  believest  not  in  that  salvation.  Surely, 
't  is  a  strange  assemblage,  and  every  man's  hand  is 
against  another's.  Each  hath  a  creed  of  his  own, 
and  he  that  ruleth  the  larger  portion  is  but  he  that 
is  the  strongest.  It  seemeth  to  me  that  this  Naza- 
rene  doth  restore  the  right,  for  He  declaimeth 
against  what  is  evil,  and  showeth  the  whole  nation 
the  way  to  God.  I  know  not  whether  He  be  the 
Christ  or  even  a  prophet ;  but  this  I  know,  that  if 
we  would  observe  His  teaching  good  only  would  en- 
sue. He  wisheth  neither  to  rob  nor  to  destroy,  nor 
to  take  the  place  of  any  man.  He  preacheth  such  a 
doctrine  that,  I  feel  sure,  were  Moses  here,  he  would 
himself  pronounce  it  better  than  his  own.  Listen 
what  sweet  philosophy  is  this :  '  I  will  have  mercy 
and  not  sacrifice,  for  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous, 
but  sinners  to  repentance  ' ;  and  again,  that  philoso- 
phy of  forgiveness — was  ever  philosophy  so  great  ? 
'  Resist  not  evil ;  but  whosoever  shall  smite  thee  on 
thy  right  cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other  also.  Love 
your  enemies;  bless  them  that  curse  you/  '  Then, 
when  Caiaphas  would  have  interrupted  him,  he  went 
on:  "Listen  yet  to  this  strange  argument:  '  If  ye 
salute  your  brethren,  what  do  ye  more  than  others  ? 
Do  not  even  the  publicans  so  ? ' 

He  is  a  dreamer  "  rejoined  Caiaphas,  shrugging 
his  shoulders;  "  such  things  cannot  be." 

'  True,"  said  Pilate,  "  if  such  things  were,  you  and 
I  would  no  more  be  needed,  for  there  would  be  no 
tribunal  and  no  law." 

And  he  laughed  lightly. 

Caiaphas,  pleased  at  the  turn  of  the  conversation, 
laughed  too. 


.  LAZARUS.  187 

"Methinks  that  thou  wouldst  make  this  man  King 
of  the  Jews  and  then  come  and  conquer  Him,"  he 
rejoined,  half  jokingly,  yet  glancing  furtively  at  the 
Procurator. 

"  Nay,  Caiaphas,  I  swear  to  thee  it  is  not  so;  I 
know  not  whence  He  cometh,  nor  what  or  who  He 
is ;  but  this  I  do  maintain,  that  I  see  no  sin  in  Him 
deserving  death." 

'  He  hath  said  that  He  is  God;  therefore  He  is  a 
blasphemer,  and,  according  to  our  law,  He  ought  to 
die,"  said  Caiaphas. 

"  Your  law,  your  law,"  retorted  Pilate  pettishly; 
"  it  is  with  thee  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  all 
things ;  yet  ye  know  it  can  be  upset  at  will.  What 
sayest  thou  about  that  robber  whom  thou  forgavest 
all  his  sins,  because  he  brought  thee  a  basket  of  orto- 
lans overladen  with  fat  and  buried  in  vine  leaves  as 
sacrifice  ? ' ' 

"  He  that  dwelleth  about  the  altar  must  feed  by 
the  altar,"  said  the  High  Priest  unctuously. 

"  Mayhap,  Caiaphas,"  answered  Pontius  Pilate, 
roaring  with  merriment ;  "  but 't  was  in  fasting  time, 
't  was  in  fasting  time.  Thou  seest,  Caiaphas,  that 
I  hear  overmuch.  Oh,  Tiberius  did  laugh  when  I 
did  narrate  the  tale!  " 

"  Didst  thou  tell  Tiberius  ?"  The  words  were 
rushed  out  almost  with  dismay. 

"  No  harm  is  done,  I  assure  thee,  my  good  Caia- 
phas. Tiberius  laughed  a  long  space ;  then  he  said, 
'  Had  I  known,  I  would  have  sent  him  a  bottle  of 
Falernian  to  wash  them  down.'  ' 

"  'T  is  some  vile  falsehood  invented  in  the  market 
place,"  said  Caiaphas  angrily.  "  I  wonder,  great 


1 88  LAZARUS. 

Pilate,  that  a  man  in  so  high  a  position  as  thyself 
should  listen  thus  to  servants'  tattling." 

'  Trouble  not  thyself,  good  Caiaphas,"  laughed 
Pilate.  '  Thou  shouldst  have  bidden  me  to  share 
it  with  thee.  But,  to  return  to  this  question  of  the 
Passover,  what  sayest  thou  ?  Shall  we  execute 
Barabbas,  if  needs  be  that  one  must  die  to  satisfy 
the  people  ?  " 

Caiaphas  was  silent ;  then,  diplomatically,  he  an- 
swered :  "Shall  I  consult  with  Annas,  and  send  thee 
word  ? ' ' 

"  Nay,  nay,"  said  the  outspoken  Roman,  laugh- 
ing, "  we  want  not  the  opinion  of  deposed  high 
priests,  nor  of  the  fathers  of  our  wives !  I  shall  con- 
sult no  father-in-law,  nor  shalt  thou.  Speak,  whom 
shall  we  release  unto  the  people  ?  " 

Then,  looking  shiftily  at  Pilate,  Caiaphas  an- 
swered:  "  Myself,  I  would  release  Barabbas,  for  he 
hath  lain  long  in  prison." 

A  spasm,  as  of  pain  or  grief,  shot  across  the  face 
of  Pilate,  and  there  was  a  moment's  silence,  in  which 
the  two  men  seemed  to  be  measuring  their  moral 
strength,  like  two  duellists  with  their  swords.  The 
Roman  was  the  weaker,  for,  in  a  disappointed  voice, 
already  feeling  the  battle  partly  lost,  yet  still  re- 
solved to  make  a  fight  of  it  before  he  yielded,  Pilate 
said:  "  And  whom  wouldst  thou  sacrifice  for  the 
people  ?  " 

And  Caiaphas,  knowing  that  he  was  the  stronger, 
with  devilish  intention,  answered:  "The  Nazarene. " 

Oh,  what  a  multitude  of  reflections  coursed 
through  the  brain  of  Pontius  Pilate,  as  he  once  more 
looked  forth  from  the  window  on  to  the  shining 


LAZARUS.  189 

roofs  and  turrets  of  Jerusalem,  rather  than  meet  the 
gaze  of  the  man  who,  he  knew,  hated  him  even  as 
he  hated  the  Nazarene,  and  even  now  took  pleasure 
in  the  grief  he  was  inflicting.  Even  while  he  gazed 
upwards  toward  the  sky,  he  wondered  why  it  did 
not  open  and  give  a  sign  that  this  was  the  Son  of 
God,  if  such  He  was.  Then,  feeling  that  the  ques- 
tion must  be  settled,  he  turned  to  Caiaphas. 

"  Tell  me  again,  Caiaphas,  on  what  charge  shall 
we  then  try  Him  and  condemn  Him.  Hath  He  in- 
deed guilt  at  all,  or  is  it  but  to  satisfy  the  proud 
Caiaphas,  to  make  his  words  of  prophecy  come 
true  ?  " 

"  He  hath  blasphemed,  I  tell  thee,"  answered 
Caiaphas  sharply,  beginning  to  lose  his  temper,  "  in 
that  He  hath  called  Himself  the  Son  of  God." 

"  To  call  Himself  the  Son  of  God  is  not  a  sin," 
retorted  Pilate,  righting  yet,  though  he  felt  the  weak- 
ness of  his  argument;  "  for  we  are  all  the  children 
of  God.  Thou  thyself  in  thy  prophecy  dost  say 
that  '  Jesus  should  die  for  this  nation,  and  not  for 
this  nation  only,  but  that  also  He  should  gather  to- 
gether all  the  children  of  God  which  were  scattered 
abroad.'  Who,  then,  meanest  thou  by  the  children 
of  God  ?" 

Doubtless,  in  his  subtlety,  the  High  Priest  could 
have  found  some  pungent  answer  with  which  to  ex- 
plain away  his  words,  but,  at  that  moment,  a  noise 
of  many  voices  raised  in  excited  talk,  and  the  tramp- 
ing of  many  feet  outside,  drowned  the  last  words  of 
Pilate;  and  ere  Caiaphas  could  reply  a  centurion 
entered  hurriedly. 

"  Pardon,  rabbis,"  he  began,  "  but  it  seemed  to 


190  LAZARUS. 

me  my  message  justified  my  speedy  entrance.  Laz- 
arus is  raised  from  the  dead.  I  have  it  from  one 
who  saw  him  leave  the  grave.  He  waiteth  outside 
to  give  thee  further  news,  if  thou  wilt  see  him." 

While  the  man  was  speaking,  Pilate  rose  and  held 
on  with  one  hand  to  the  couch,  while  he  turned  his 
head  with  terror-stricken  look  over  his  shoulder 
towards  the  soldier. 

"  Dost  believe  't  is  true  ?  "  he  asked. 
'  True,  how  can  it  be  true  ?  What  fool's  folly  is 
this  ?  "  interrupted  Caiaphas,  stamping  his  feet,  and 
with  one  arm  clasping  his  elbow  while  he  bowed  his 
chin  upon  his  hand.  'T  is  some  foul  trick,  some 
chicanery  of  this  Nazarene  and  His  company. 
Maybe  they  have  taken  away  the  body  of  Lazarus, 
and  this  is  some  other  man."  Then,  turning  to 
Pilate,  he  continued:  "With  all  thy  arguments  and 
unwillingness,  we  are  too  late  to  stop  the  people 
now.  They  will  altogether  go  after  this  juggling 
Nazarene.  Hadst  thou  but  heard  me,  the  quieting 
of  Judaea  had  been  an  easy  task.  Now  who  will  say 
how  it  will  end,  for  this  unlearned  people  will  believe 
that  this  is  a  miracle  from  God.  All  Jewry  hath 
waited  for  this  day  and  wondered  why  it  came  not. 
Four  days  had  this  schemer  left  the  people  to  grow 
heated  with  endless  uproar ;  and  now  He  bringeth 
His  pretended  miracles  to  a  frenzied  people,  who 
know  not  whether  they  dream  or  not." 

But  Pilate  answered  nothing  to  his  recriminations. 

"  Bring  us  hither  thy  messenger,"  said  he,  turn- 
ing to  the  soldier. 

"  It  is  Chuza  who  hath  come." 

"And  who  is  Chuza?"   asked   Caiaphas,   with 


LAZARUS.  191 

scathing  scorn,  "  that  his  word  is  to  have  weight 
with  the  two  rulers  of  Judaea  ?  " 

Peace,  Caiaphas;  I  would  but  hear  the  rumour 
from  his  lips,"  said  Pilate,  and  he  signed  to  the  sol- 
dier to  bring  the  man. 

A  moment  later  there  was  announced  a  little  man 
whose  black  ringlets  and  piercing  eyes  proclaimed 
him  a  Jew,  while  his  dress  was  that  worn  by  the 
house  stewards  of  the  time. 

He  came  in,  making  low  obeisance,  but  with  a 
troubled  look,  as  if  recent  events  had  overwhelmed 
him. 

'  Who  art  thou  ?  "  asked  Caiaphas  with  scorn. 

"  May  it  please  thee,  High  Caiaphas,  I  am  now 
the  steward  of  Antipas ;  but  I  was  the  steward  of 
Herod,  and  so  well  did  I  rule  his  household  for  him, 
that  Antipas  did  bid  me  stay." 

Caiaphas  became  less  cynical. 

The  steward  in  the  house  of  the  Tetrarch  was  a 
man  at  least  deserving  of  consideration. 

"  And  dost  thou  know  the  Nazarene  ?  " 

"  May  it  please  thee,  High  Caiaphas,  I  have  a  wife 
Joanna,  who  for  many  years  suffered  from  the  dis- 
ease of  madness ;  and,  at  the  seasons  of  the  moon, 
she  would  throw  herself  into  the  fire  or  tear  her 
clothing.  She  had  seen  many  physicians,  but  they 
had  availed  her  nothing,  and  much  money  had  been 
spent,  which  I  could  ill  afford." 

"  Albeit  thou  robbest  the  Tetrarch  not  a  little," 
put  in  Caiaphas,  with  a  sneering  laugh. 

"  Let  him  tell  his  tale,"  said  Pontius  Pilate  with 
impatience.  "  Proceed,  Chuza." 

Then  the  man  went  on:  "  But  when  my  wife  did 


192  LAZARUS. 

hear  through  her  sister,  Susanna,  who  is  married  to 
a  tanner  near  to  Bethany,  that  this  Man  did  work 
such  miracles,  she  too  went  and  besought  Him. 
And  He  turned  to  her  in  the  crowd  and  said  to  her: 
'  Woman,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee  ' ;  and  straight- 
way she  was  cured,  and  returned  unto  me  whole." 

"What  said  Antipas  to  this  miracle?"  asked 
Caiaphas,  with  the  same  self-satisfied,  scornful  smile. 
"  Is  he  not  wroth  that  thy  wife  doth  thus  run  after 
the  Nazarene  ?  " 

"  He  said  only,  '  'T  was  a  pity  that  she  had  been 
cured,  for  else,  perchance,  she  had  not  returned,'  ' 
said  Chuza,  simply,   at   which   both  Caiaphas  and 
Pilate  laughed. 

"  But  touching  Lazarus  ?  'T  is  of  him  that  we 
would  hear,"  said  Pilate.  Then,  remembering  that 
he  would  be  on  dangerous  ground  should  any  remark 
of  his  be  carried  back  to  Antipas,  he  went  on  with 
assumed  indifference,  that  Caiaphas  did  not  fail  to 
note,  and,  later,  profit  by.  "  What  tales  are  told  ?  " 

"  Nay,  they  are  no  tales,  my  lords,"  replied  the 
Jew,  his  whole  face  changing  when  his  thoughts  re- 
verted to  the  strange  phenomenon  of  that  night. 
"  'T  is  even  so.  When  Joanna,  my  wife,  heard  that 
Lazarus  was  dead,  she  entreated  me  to  accompany 
her  to  the  house  of  Martha  of  Bethany,  but  my  mas- 
ter Antipas  hath  had  two  great  feasts  at  his  house, 
and  I  could  not  take  her  thither  for  four  days.  But 
late  last  night  we  travelled  the  fifteen  furlongs'  jour- 
ney to  comfort  Mary  and  Martha/and  to  carry  spices 
to  anoint  Lazarus.  Then  when  we  reached  the 
dwelling  a  great  multitude  stood  around,  and  we 
feared  lest  something  had  happened  to  the  Nazarene. 


LAZARUS.  193 

But  Mary  came  out  to  us  and  whispered  that,  if 
we  would  follow  the  multitude  to  the  tomb,  we 
would  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  So  we  followed 
to  the  tomb  of  Lazarus,  and  there  the  Nazarene 
called  out  in  a  loud  voice :  '  Lazarus,  come  forth !  ' 

"  Well,  well,"  Pilate  broke  in  impatiently,  when 
the  man  stopped  for  breath. 

He  went  on :  "And  immediately  he  that  was  dead 
came  forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  with  grave  clothes, 
and  his  face  was  bound  about  with  a  napkin.  And 
Jesus  said  unto  them,  '  Loose  him,  and  let  him 

go/  " 

Then  when  Pilate  said  nothing,  but  remained 
wrapped  in  silence,  musing  over  Chuza's  words, 
Caiaphas  broke  in  impatiently:  "And  the  people, 
what  said  the  people  ?  " 

Somewhat  maliciously,  eying  the  High  Priest 
narrowly  while  he  spoke,  Chuza  answered:  "Many 
of  the  Jews  believed  when  they  saw  the  things  which 
Jesus  did ;  others  went  their  way  to  tell  the  Phari- 
sees the  things  which  they  had  seen." 

'  Enough,  thou  mayst  go,"  said  Pilate,  handing 
the  man  a  few  coins.  "  Thou  hast  well  told  thy 
tale." 

"  Indeed  't  is  no  tale,"  protested  Chuza. 

"  Silence,  and  begone,  fool !  "  thundered  Caiaphas. 

The  man  hastened  away,  and  at  first  no  v/ord  was 
spoken  by  the  two  remaining  in  the  chamber.  The 
hour  was  late,  and  the  time  for  Pilate's  midday  meal 
had  passed.  But  he  recked  not  of  food,  this  hardy 
Roman.  Since  their  discussion  had  begun,  this  sud- 
den news  had  weighed  the  balance  on  his  side.  He 

knew  that  the  fact  that  Lazarus  had  not  been  raised 
13 


194  LAZARUS. 

had  been  the  strong  point  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sad- 
ducees ;  but,  now  that  the  miracle  had  been  accom- 
plished, his  arguments  had  been  greatly  strength- 
ened, while  those  of  the  disbelieving  Jews  and  of 
the  scribes  and  Pharisees  had  been  proportionately 
weakened. 

Caiaphas  was  now  eager  to  be  rid  of  his  guest, 
that  he  might  think  over  this  event  in  silence,  and 
form  alone  his  schemes  of  tyranny  and  vengeance. 
He  could  not  but  be  conscious  that  this  raising  of 
Lazarus,  whether  a  real  miracle,  or  some  trickery, 
had  changed  the  aspect  of  affairs,  and  would  lessen 
his  hold  upon  the  people.  He  started,  for  in  his 
musings  he  had  forgotten  Pilate's  presence. 
'  What  thinkest  thou  now  ?  "  asked  Pilate. 

"  Now,  now;  why  should  I  think  differently  ?" 
answered  Caiaphas.  '  I  think  the  people  are  gone 
mad,  and  that  the  Nazarene  hath  a  devil."  His 
voice  and  tone  were  sore  and  irritable. 

Pilate  rose  to  go.  '  Thou  wilt  not  be  persuaded, 
Caiaphas.  Yet  I  hold  Him  free  from  all  sin.  I  will 
go  farther  into  this  affair  and,  mayhap,  will  see 
privily  the  Nazarene,"  said  Pilate;  "  and  if  I  find 
no  guile  in  Him  I  will  let  Him  go,  shouldst  thou  lay 
hands  on  Him,  and  will  condemn  Barabbas." 

The  tone  was  defiant  and  abrupt,  and  he  left  with 
a  blunt  farewell,  to  return  to  the  Palace  of  Herod, 
where  the  Roman  Procurators  were  wont  to  stay  at 
the  time  of  feasts,  in  order  to  keep  order  in  Jerusa- 
lem. In  his  heart  he  wondered  what  Claudia  would 
say  at  this  fresh  news. 

Caiaphas  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Then,  when 
Pilate's  departing  footsteps  were  no  longer  audible, 


LAZARUS.  195 

he  muttered:  "  We  shall  see,  Pilate,  who  is  the 
stronger,  thou  or  I.  We  shall  see."  And  over  his 
face  there  gathered  such  a  glance  of  hellish  hate 
and  malice,  mingled  with  scorn  and  craft,  that  surely 
no  such  face  would  ever  shine  with  virtue  more. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE  Sanhedrim  had  been  called  together;  and 
more,  it  was  not  without  disquietude  that 
Caiaphas  had  appeared  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly. 
Jerusalem  was  convulsed  by  the  events  of  the  pre- 
ceding day.  Lazarus  was  alive  again  to  swell  the 
ranks  of  Christ's  supporters  and  the  High  Priest's 
opponents. 

"  Our  enemies  are  multiplied,"  Caiaphas  had  said 
unctuously  to  Nicodemus,  and  the  latter  had  an- 
swered with  significance :  ' '  Yea,  methinks  they  are 
too  strong  for  us." 

In  the  privacy  of  his  own  chamber,  with  none  but 
Annas  to  hear  his  asseverations  of  what  he  meant  to 
do,  the  infuriated  accents  of  his  oaths,  the  mingled 
scorn  and  terror  of  his  remarks,  Caiaphas  gave  up  all 
pretence  of  being  actuated  by  religious  fervour  or 
noble  impulses. 

"  Yes,  if  I  be  eternally  damned,  if  Satan  claim  me 
for  his  own,  if  this  be  the  Christ,  the  very  Son  of 
God,  yet  He  shall  perish,  for  that  He  hath  striven 
to  contend  with  me,  to  pervert  the  nation,  to  insult 
the  teachers  of  the  law,  of  whom  I  am  chief.  Dost 
not  fear,  Annas,  thou  who  art  the  father  of  many 
priests,  that  if  this  Man  once  gain  the  mastery  all 
priesthood  shall  be  ended  ?  What  need  of  priests, 
if  a  common  carpenter  can  come  and  teach  in  our 

196 


LAZARUS.  197 

synagogues  and  flout  us  ?  Thou  and  I,  Annas,  may 
go  and  live  in  some  mean  cottage  in  Nazareth,  for 
it  seemeth  that  out  of  that  village  cometh  greatness. 
Thinkest  with  me,  Annas  ?  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Annas,  talking  for  once  without 
prevarication  and  without  affectation,  but  with  the 
experience  of  age  and  many  years  in  a  position  of 
responsibility,  "  that,  in  thy  hate  of  the  Nazarene 
thou  dost  make  too  much  of  this  thing." 

"  Hate  ?  Thou  hast  well  said  hate,  Annas,"  re- 
torted Caiaphas,  in  his  anger  forgetting  all  but  his 
own  malevolence.  "  I  hate  Him  for  His  presump- 
tuous teachings,  for  His  scheming  and  pretended 
simple  ways  that  do  entangle  this  foolish  Jewish 
people.  Doth  He  think,  because  He  cajoleth  fools 
and  beggars  with  His  quackeries,  that  I,  great 
Caiaphas,  can  be  deceived  ?  Ah !  He  shall  see  yet 
who  is  the  stronger.  He  shall  yet  learn  that  those 
who  cross  the  path  of  the  High  Priest  are  but 
brushed  aside." 

And  Caiaphas  made  a  gesture  as  though  he  raised 
and  tossed  aside  some  obstacle  from  his  path.  No 
offended  elephant  waiting  to  tusk  his  enemy,  then 
seize  him  in  his  trunk  and  hurl  him  into  the  air, 
could  have  presented  a  more  terrible  aspect  of  rage 
and  fury.  Annas's  heart  recoiled  within  him  at  the 
remembrance  that  this  man  was  the  husband  of  his 
daughter. 

"  Poor  Rebekah,  methinks  she  too  must  suffer," 
he  murmured. 

Then,  while  the  two  men  were  preparing  to  leave 
the  room,  gathering  up  parchments,  placing  others 
aside,  there  rose  on  the  air  once  more  the  cries  of  : 


198  LAZARUS. 

"  Lazarus  is  risen,  Lazarus  is  risen!"  which  all 
through  the  night  had  whipped  Caiaphas's  blood 
into  foaming  waves  of  fury. 

"  It  seemeth  to  me  that  if  thou  dost  murder  one 
the  other  will  still  remain,"  said  Annas,  shrugging 
his  shoulders;  "  for,  whether  Lazarus  was  really 
dead  or  not,  I  know  not;  but  now  he  liveth.  Of 
that  there  is  no  doubt." 

"  Call  it  not  murder,"  answered  Caiaphas,  "  be- 
cause a  blasphemer  shall  meet  His  just  reward. 
Wouldst  thou,  too,  be  a  believer?"  he  added 
scoffingly. 

"  I  believe  not  that  He  is  the  Christ,"  replied 
Annas  seriously;  "  but  I  do  believe  that  't  is  a  man 
of  hidden  power.  We  know  not  how  or  whence; 
perhaps  of  Satan,  or — who  knoweth  ?  And  I  think 
that  we  must  use  caution,  lest  some  hidden  danger 
spring  upon  us." 

Caiaphas  looked  at  him  for  one  moment,  as  if  de- 
bating whether  he  had  gone  mad ;  for  the  voice  of 
Annas  was  the  only  one  he  ever  listened  to,  the 
advice  of  Annas  the  sole  advice  he  ever  followed. 
Perhaps  no  man  in  Jerusalem  was  so  much  the 
counterpart  of  his  own  vileness. 

"  What  thinkest  thou  then,  Annas  ? "  he  said  im- 
patiently. 

"  I  hardly  know,"  replied  the  older  man.  "  If 
thou  wouldst  have  me  tell  thee  what  I  would  have 
done  had  I  still  remained  High  Priest,  and  such 
strange  event  befallen  in  my  reign," — here  he  low- 
ered his  voice, — "  I  would  have  had  Him  caught  by 
stealth  and  murdered,  for  to  make  a  sacrifice  of  a 
man  is  ever  to  make  him  a  martyr.  To  make  a  pub- 


LAZARUS.  199 

lie  function  of  an  execution  is  ever  to  run  danger  of 
division  amongst  the  people;  and  with  one  who 
could  raise  Lazarus,  be  it  by  chicanery  or  not — I 
know  not,  and  whether  Lazarus  were  dead  or  not,  I 
know  not,  nor  will  know — yet,  methinks  the  man 
must  needs  have  power  who  can  do  this  thing, 
whether  by  God's  assistance  or  Satan's  magic;  and, 
since  there  is  such  stir  about  the  death  of  Lazarus, 
a  lesser  ruler  of  the  Synagogue,  surely  there  will  be 
threefold  over  the  death  of  one  who  calleth  Himself 
the  Son  of  God." 

Caiaphas  was  silent.  It  seemed  as  though  these 
wise  words  of  Annas  carried  conviction  to  him,  but 
that  ambition  forbade  such  secret  dismissal  of  the 
man  he  hated.  The  people  had  believed  in  Him. 
The  people  should  see  who  was  the  more  powerful. 
The  man  who  had  publicly  denounced  the  law  should 
perish  by  the  law.  A  public  example  should  be 
made,  and  Judaea  should  for  ever  be  rid  of  the  possi- 
bility of  a  reappearance  of  such  fanatics.  The  world 
must  be  freed  from  all  such  mischief-makers. 

'  Thou  wouldst  have  them  say  that  I,  Caiaphas, 
am  afraid  ? "  he  asked,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 
"  No,  it  is  the  people's  voice,  the  voice  of  them  who 
seemed  to  follow  Him,  that  shall  condemn,"  he  went 
on,  growing  fiercer  and  more  sullen.  "If  He  be  the 
Son  of  God,  let  His  God  save  Him!  "  Then  sud- 
denly clutching  the  old  man  by  the  arm  and  placing 
his  coarse  lips  close  to  his  slowly  deafening  ears, 
he  said:  "  I  will  not  be  dictated  to  by  Pontius 
Pilate." 

Here  indeed  he  struck  home,  for  it  was  through 
Pontius  Pilate  that  Annas  had  been  bereft  of  his 


20O  LAZARUS. 

High  Priestship.  "  His  mumbling  words  reach  not 
the  people's  ears,"  Pilate  had  said  in  rough  jocose- 
ness  to  Tiberius ;  and  so  Annas  had  been  deposed, 
and,  to  blunt  the  edge  of  his  disappointment,  his 
kinsman  appointed  in  his  place. 

The  two  hurried  along  the  street  to  the  council 
chamber,  already  packed  with  all  the  rulers  of  the 
Synagogue,  and  all  the  chief  priests  and  high 
officials. 

While  the  two  were  walking  through  the  crowd, 
the  people  pointed  and  hooted  at  them,  and  hoarse 
cries  of :  "  Lazarus,  Lazarus!  "  continually  reached 
their  ears. 

Pontius  Pilate,  contrary,  to  his  usual  custom,  was 
not  present,  a  fact  that  gave  great  satisfaction  to 
Caiaphas.  A  heated  discussion  at  once  began.  It 
was  evident  that,  in  the  face  of  such  a  miracle,  two 
courses  alone  were  open.  One,  the  impossible  one 
to  the  law-eaten,  power-seeking  Pharisees,  that  of 
acknowledging  the  God-given  power  of  a  good  man, 
if  not  the  divinity  of  the  Son  of  God ;  the  other,  to 
lose  no  further  time  in  putting  Him  to  death.  Nay, 
more,  the  Sadducees  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  Laz- 
arus must  also  be  destroyed. 

'  He  is  a  living  witness  of  this  thing,"  said  one; 
and  Caiaphas  shrugged  his  shoulders  in  impatience. 

"  Ye  do  speak  as  if  this  were  indeed  a  miracle  and 
Lazarus  had  been  dead,"  he  said. 

"  Nevertheless,  this  Man  doeth  many  miracles." 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  said  another. 

Then  Nicodemus,  resolving  to  make  one  last  at- 
tempt to  use  his  high  position  for  the  service  of  the 
Lord,  rose  up  and  said:  "  Surely  ye  would  not  slay 


LAZARUS.  201 

Lazarus.  Yet,  if  the  Nazarene  be  slain,  will  not  all 
the  people  and  Lazarus  tell  still  of  His  great  deeds?  " 

Caiaphas  shot  a  glance  of  wrath  at  him. 

But  Nicodemus  continued  speaking:  '  What 
harm  doeth  He  ?  Let  us  leave  Him  alone.  Surely 
the  State  hath  nations  that  do  war  against  her,  and 
many  enemies ;  she  needeth  not  to  war  against  one 
man.  Let  Him  alone." 

Then,  while  no  one  uttered  aught,  as  though  his 
words  were  taking  effect,  the  voice  of  Annas  rose  on 
the  silence,  for  there  must  needs  be  silence  to  hear 
the  old  man's  voice. 

"  If  we  let  Him  thus  alone,  all  men  will  believe 
in  Him,  and  the  Romans  shall  come  and  take  away 
both  our  place  and  nation." 

Caiaphas  shot  a  look  of  approval  and  gratitude  at 
Annas.  He  recognised  the  diplomacy  of  the  remark. 
Annas  had  profited  by  Pontius  Pilate's  absence  to 
cast  a  slur  on  the  intentions  of  the  governing  race. 
Yet,  if  Pontius  Pilate  should  come  to  hear  of  this, 
it  could  not  be  said  that  Caiaphas  the  High  Priest 
had  pronounced  the  words.  Annas  had  spoken  well 
and  tersely,  and  Caiaphas's  countenance  beamed 
with  sated  craft. 

But  Pontius  Pilate  was,  in  a  sense,  popular,  and 
there  were  many  in  the  building  who  owed  place  and 
power  to  him,  and  resented  the  covert  attack  on  the 
good  faith  of  the  Procurator.  His  absence,  too,  had 
filled  their  minds  with  uneasiness.  Perhaps  an  open 
rupture  was  to  come  between  Caiaphas  and  the  Ro- 
man Governor ;  then  woe  betide  those  who  had  sided 
against  Caesar's  viceroy !  These  and  many  other  re- 
flections crossed  the  minds  of  the  more  temperate  of 


2O2  LAZARUS. 

the  Pharisaical  party,  many  of  whom  were  friends  of 
Lazarus  and  Nicodemus. 

Here  and  there  a  voice  rose,  crying  out:  "He  is 
not  worthy  of  death." 

Then  Caiaphas,  with  that  arrogant  impatience 
which,  from  its  very  daring,  so  often  carried  the  day, 
exclaimed  roughly,  insultingly:  "Ye  know  nothing 
at  all.  Who  are  ye  to  set  yourselves  against  the 
prophecy  of  one  who  is  of  the  lineage  of  Aaron  ? 
Have  I  not  prophesied  to  you  that  it  is  expedient 
for  one  man  to  die  for  the  people,  and  that  the 
whole  nation  perish  not  ?  If  this  man  live,  the  na- 
tions of  God  will  run  hither  and  thither  to  seek  after 
vain  preachers;  but,  if  He  die,  they  will  gather 
themselves  together  in  one  fold  henceforward,  in 
patient  obedience  to  the  laws  of  Moses.  To  save 
one  man's  life  will  ye  sacrifice  a  nation  ?  Will  ye 
not  rather  by  one  man's  death  deliver  all  the  chil- 
dren of  God  ?" 

Silence,  that  unwilling  silence  that  might  yet  be 
intrepreted  as  consent,  reigned  in  the  building  for 
some  moments,  while  one  after  another  those  who 
were  against  the  condemnation  of  the  Nazarene,  yet 
felt  themselves  powerless  to  oppose  the  will  of  Caia- 
phas, rose  and  left  the  council,  hoping  thereby  to 
show  their  disapproval.  Caiaphas  followed  each 
with  eyes  that  gleamed  with  satisfaction. 

"Cowards!  "  he  muttered  from  his  place.  "Cow- 
ards! "  despising  the  very  characteristic  that  yet 
caused  his  satisfaction.  "  They  dare  not  gainsay 
me." 

The  exit  of  these  people  was  followed  by  a  sud- 
den buzzing  of  voices,  murmuring,  arguing,  expos- 
tulating. 


LAZARUS.  203 

Yet  all  who  remained  felt  that,  by  doing  so,  they 
owned  themselves  convinced;  many  indeed  were 
partisans  of  Caiaphas. 

Then,  seeing  the  moment  of  his  victory  come, 
Caiaphas  rose  and  addressed  the  council :  ' '  Men  of 
Israel,  Rulers,  Chief  Priests,  Sadducees;  I  see  that 
ye  are  ready  to  quit  you  like  men  and  not  allow  this 
agitator  to  provoke  the  people.  Is  it,  then,  agreed 
that  an  order  go  forth  to  capture  this  wily  Man  and 
to  bring  Him  before  Pilate  for  examination  ?" 

Purposely  the  cunning  Caiaphas  omitted  the  word 
condemnation.  To  bring  the  Nazarene  before  Pon- 
tius Pilate  did  not  necessarily  mean  to  condemn  Him 
to  death;  albeit  that  Caiaphas  knew  that  the  one 
would  lead  to  the  other ;  but  the  artful  ignoring  of 
the  words  that  would  imply  the  Saviour's  sentence 
carried  the  day  with  those  he  was  addressing. 

'  Yes,  we  are  agreed,"  they  shouted.  "Let  Him 
have  fair  hearing  before  Pilate."  And  hastily,  lest 
fresh  objections  should  be  raised  or  conditions  made, 
to  give  no  time  for  the  tide  of  political  assent  to 
turn,  Caiaphas  descended  the  steps  of  the  Tribunal 
and  hurried  away,  leaving  Annas  to  conclude  the 
business  of  the  day. 

And  that  day  an  order  was  published  throughout 
Jerusalem  and  all  Judaea,  including  Galilee,  that  if 
any  one  set  eyes  on  the  Nazarene,  He  should  be 
brought  before  Pilate. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

IN  the  cool  of  the  garden  the  reunited  family  at 
Bethany  sat  once  more  at  evening,  watching  the 
sunset  over  Jerusalem.  The  strangeness  of  the  situ- 
ation, the  great  marvel  of  the  resurrection  of  Laz- 
arus, formed  the  subject  of  every  conversation. 

"  Is  it  indeed  thou,  Lazarus  ?"  Martha  would  say 
in  smiling  wonder;  and  he,  smiling  in  return,  would 
turn  his  face  towards  the  light  and  answer:  "  Dost 
not  know  thy  brother  ?  " 

But  Mary  sat  in  silent  adoration  at  the  wonder  of 
the  thing,  barely  daring  to  look  at  her  brother,  ask- 
ing no  questions,  in  silent  gratitude  at  this  great 
happiness.  All  signs  of  mourning  had  disappeared. 
Instead,  all  through  the  day,  little  groups  of  people 
gathered  outside  the  gates,  clamouring  to  be  allowed 
to  see  the  risen  Lazarus,  who,  only  too  glad  to  be 
the  living  witness  of  the  Messiah's  power,  never 
wearied  in  seeing  and  speaking  to  the  multitude. 

The  first  to  come  had  been  Kishish,  the  physician. 
None  better  than  he  knew  that  Lazarus  had  indeed 
been  dead.  All  that  human  skill  could  do  he  had 
done  to  save  the  life  of  this  favourite,  wealthy 
patient.  Nay,  more,  he  had  striven  with  a  purpose, 
for  he  knew  full  well  what  influence  his  death  would 
have  upon  the  Jews,  and  how  important  it  was  for 
the  peace  of  Judaea  that  things  should  remain  as  they 

204 


LAZARUS.  205 

then  were.  He  had  been  absent  by  the  bedside  of 
a  sick  person  at  the  time  of  the  miracle,  and  had 
treated  the  announcement  of  Lazarus's  resurrection 
with  a  scorn  and  derision  not  unnatural  in  the  cir- 
cumstances. Yet,  when  he  saw  his  patient  reclining 
as  usual  on  his  couch,  a  great  amazement  seized  him. 

"  Who,  then,  is  this  Man  ? "  he  asked  Lazarus 
breathlessly. 

"  A  Physician  of  the  Soul,"  replied  Lazarus. 
"  One  who  for  healing  needeth  no  medicine  and  no 
herb." 

"  Verily  'tis  a  wondrous  thing,"  said  Kishish. 
But  he  too  was  powerless  to  believe  the  simplicity 
of  the  act.  Rather  would  he  believe  that  he  had 
been  wrong  in  pronouncing  that  life  had  fled ;  would 
confess  that  he  had  erred,  rather  than  believe.  Fal- 
tering, failing,  presumptuous  humanity  that  can  ex- 
plain nothing,  yet  fails  to  believe  what  it  cannot 
understand !  Truly  had  the  Lord  pronounced  words 
of  verity  when  He  had  said:  "  If  they  believe  not 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  believe 
though  one  came  from  the  dead." 

Yes,  the  great  miracle  was  over,  Lazarus  alive,  the 
signs  of  mourning  were  wiped  away.  The  wailing 
had  ceased,  once  more  peace  and  gladness  reigned 
in  the  home  at  Bethany,  and  already  it  seemed  as 
though  all  that  had  happened  had  been  a  dream. 
The  brain  and  heart  of  man  lack  the  capacity  to  hold 
so  great  a  miracle ;  and  humanity  is  so  prone  to  ob- 
stinacy that,  even  when  its  right  course  is  pointed 
out,  it  soon  glides  back  into  its  old  grooves,  its  old 
understandings,  its  old  stagnation,  and  the  divine 
fire  in  it  smoulders  dully  or  goes  out.  Occasionally, 


206  LAZARUS. 

for  a  space,  the  flame  of  faith  springs  up.  At  such 
times  the  soul  is  lit  up  by  its  flashes.  Dark  things 
stand  out  defined  and  clear;  comfort  and  warmth 
and  rest  are  there.  But  the  flame  needs  feeding. 
And,  alas!  the  watcher  tires,  there  is  no  heaping  on 
of  fuel,  no  stirring  of  the  dead  embers,  so  the  light 
dies  out. 

But,  in  the  heart  of  Lazarus,  faith  was  awake  for 
evermore;  faith  strengthened  by  the  evidence  of 
things,  not  unseen,  but  seen ;  to  him  who  had  longed 
to  believe  had  been  vouchsafed  the  greatest  blessing 
of  all — to  know. 

For  many  days  the  sisters  left  him  quiet,  for  there 
was  that  in  his  expression  which  silenced  question- 
ing. Great  deputations  came  from  far  and  wide  to 
question  him.  Lawyers,  scribes,  Pharisees,  all 
flocked  to  ask  him  what  his  sensations  had  been  at 
the  moment  of  his  death  and  what  on  his  return  to 
life.  Had  he  been  to  heaven  and  seen  the  Living 
God  ?  Had  he  been  to  Hades  and  seen  the  spirits 
that  await  the  Judgment  Day,  or  had  he  been  to 
hell  and  spoken  there  with  Satan  ?  Each,  according 
to  his  belief  or  sect,  asked  for  more  knowledge ;  but 
to  all  Lazarus  only  shook  his  head  and  answered : 
"  If  I  told  you,  ye  would  not  believe.  Ye  would 
say  I  had  dreamed  a  dream." 

Then,  one  evening,  Martha  exclaimed  fretfully  : 
"  Methinks  there  was  little  gain  in  thy  death  and 
resurrection,  if  thou  hast  naught  to  tell  us." 

Naught  to  show  the  world  ?  Lazarus  took  on  a 
look  of  unutterable  grief  at  Martha's  words. 

"  Thou  knowest  not  what  thou  sayest,"  he  an- 
swered her;  and,  while  he  spoke,  his  gaze  was  raised 


LAZARUS.  207 

to  the  vaulted  heavens,  and  rested  there  in  patient 
musing. 

Yes,  so  it  would  be  always.  No  miracles,  no 
words  would  ever  strike  home  where  revelation  had 
not  penetrated.  No  human  power,  no  earthly 
preaching,  no  laws,  could  ever  produce  that  spark  of 
living  fire  that  came  from  God  direct. 

Yes,  all  know,  all  understand,  where  salvation  is 
to  be  found;  't  is  a  Pool  of  Siloam  awaiting  all. 
And  all  mean  one  day  to  wash  in  it — when  they 
find  the  time  convenient.  All  intend  to  be  saved, 
all  believe;  but  there  is  ample  time;  and,  mean- 
while, there  is  much  to  be  done,  buying  and  selling, 
laughing  and  making  merry,  decking  and  feasting, 
striving  for  power  and  place ;  and,  when  we  reach  the 
pool  at  last,  the  angel  is  not  there  to  stir  the  waters. 

So  mused  Lazarus,  yet  it  seemed  to  him  that 
Martha  was  partly  right.  Not  to  tell  of  his  ex- 
periences during  those  four  days  was  to  keep  back 
much  helpful  knowledge — perhaps,  even  to  oppose 
God's  purpose.  Yet  he  had  received  no  word  to 
tell  the  world.  Those  four  days  seemed  to  him  so 
sacred,  so  utterly  unconnected  with  this  world,  that 
he  had  not  dared  reveal  what  he  had  seen.  For 
some  days  he  had  been  dazed  with  the  marvel  of  it, 
and  there  had  been  no  Christ  to  help  or  guide  him ; 
for  immediately  the  miracle  was  over  the  Nazarene 
had  departed  to  Ephraim,  both  to  escape  the  multi- 
tude and  to  prepare  for  His  death,  which  could  not 
be  far  distant  now.  Already  Jerusalem  was  filling 
fast  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  outskirts  and  the 
country  round,  who  gathered  there  to  eat  the  Pass- 
over and  to  purify  themselves  beforehand. 


208  LAZARUS. 

Many  wondered  whether  the  Nazarene,  in  defi- 
ance of  the  command  for  His  arrest,  would  come  to 
Jerusalem  for  the  Passover.  The  Temple  was 
thronged  daily  in  the  hope  that  either  He  would  ap- 
pear, or  that  Lazarus  would  take  His  place  and 
preach  on  the  subject  of  his  own  resurrection.  But 
a  great  silence  reigned  as  to  the  whereabouts  and 
actions  of  Jesus,  some  going  even  so  far  as  to  be- 
lieve that  the  Messiah  had  taken  the  place  of  Laza- 
rus in  the  tomb,  misapplying  the  words:  "  Greater 
love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his 
life  for  his  friend." 

Who  can  enter  into  the  sadness  of  His  days  at 
Ephraim,  with  only  the  society  of  His  rough,  un- 
tutored disciples.  He  had  restored  Lazarus,  but 
even  the  companionship  of  the  family  at  Bethany 
was  denied  to  Him ;  it  would  have  been  dangerous 
to  visit  them,  for  the  Jews,  who  congregated  daily 
to  see  the  restored  Lazarus,  would  doubtless  have 
followed  Him,  and  told  Caiaphas  of  His  where- 
abouts. Those  were  days  of  terrible  anxiety  to  the 
three  at  Bethany.  Filled  with  undying  gratitude 
and  longing  to  cast  themselves  in  adoring  worship 
at  His  feet,  they  yet  durst  not  move  from  Bethany, 
or  even  send  a  word  of  love  and  reverence. 

Once  more  Martha  raised  her  inquiring,  half- 
doubting  voice  to  Lazarus. 

"  If  He  be  the  Son  of  God,  why  must  He  die  ? 
Since  He  could  bring  thee  to  life,  cannot  He  save 
Himself  ?  " 

The  cry  was  doubtless  prompted  more  by  agony 
at  the  thought  of  the  Messiah's  death  than  by  dis- 
belief; and  in  that  light  Lazarus  replied  to  it. 


LAZARUS.  209 

"  'T  is  because  He  is  the  Son  of  God  that  He 
must  die." 

"  Oh,  I  would  see  Him  yet  again,"  moaned  the 
loving  Mary.  "  My  Saviour,  my  God,  my  Christ, 
my  Life,  would  I  could  die  for  Thee!  " 

And,  now  and  then,  it  seemed  as  though  across 
the  night  there  stole  the  tender  words:  "  I  have 
loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love." 

Oh,  to  know  that  the  Son  of  God  was  there,  and 
that  they  were  powerless !  At  these  times,  Lazarus 
would  go  into  quiet  places  and  pray,  as  if  his  heart 
would  break;  and  all  was  gloom  and  grief  within 
their  souls,  not  for  themselves,  but  for  what  the 
Saviour  was  to  endure. 

"  To  think  that  I,  I,  Lazarus,  a  sinner,  should 
live,  and  that  He  should  die.  Oh,  gladly  would  I 
give  each  one  of  my  possessions,  that  once  it  would 
have  grieved  me  to  resign,  that  I  might  die  for  Him, 
or,  by  following  Him,  spare  Him  one  brief  hour  of 
pain." 

At  Jerusalem  the  commotion  of  the  people  kept 
increasing.  Messengers  arrived  almost  daily  at  the 
doors  of  Caiaphas  with  the  news  that  they  could 
gain  no  tidings  of  Him,  and  the  prisons  were  be- 
coming thronged  with  men  punished  by  Caiaphas 
for  not  bringing  Him. 

Strange  were  the  tales  that  gained  report  as,  one 
after  another,  the  messengers  returned.  Some  said 
that  Pilate  had  forbidden  his  capture,  others  that 
many  times  they  had  laid  hold  on  Him,  but  that  He 
had  slipped  through  their  hands  and  seemed  to 
vanish  into  air.  Caiaphas  could  not  fail  to  see  that 
the  latest  miracle  had  weakened  his  position ;  and, 


2IO  LAZARUS. 

later,  he  even  meditated  the  death  of  Lazarus.  He 
had  said  truly  that  all  who  crossed  the  path  of  Caia- 
phas  should  be  brushed  aside.  Nicodemus  had  gone 
over  openly  to  the  Lord.  Pilate  came  no  more  to 
the  council  chamber.  Annas  was  hooted  in  the 
streets  and  pelted  with  stones.  Even  threats  against 
the  life  of  Caiaphas  had  been  reported.  Several  of 
the  Pharisees  and  rulers  of  the  Synagogue  believed 
in  Jesus  secretly,  while  not  daring  to  confess  it. 
Strange  stir,  forsooth,  this  Man  had  made,  this  car- 
penter's Son. 

And  so  the  days  went  by,  and  Lazarus's  death 
and  Lazarus's  resurrection  became  matters  of  the 
past,  swamped  by  disturbing  doubts  and  fears  about 
the  future. 

Once  more  the  watchman  passed  by  the  house  of 
Caiaphas,  but  the  High  Priest  closed  his  ears.  The 
time  for  repentance,  for  hesitation,  for  remorse  was 
over.  Satan  had  claimed  this  man,  and  he  had 
been  given  over  to  him,  as  if  unworthy  of  a  contest. 

"  Let  the  heathen  be  awakened,  let  the  heathen 
be  awakened,"  cried  the  watchman,  "  for  the  day  of 
the  Lord  is  near,  in  the  valley  of  decision,  the  val- 
ley of  decision!  " 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

T^ETHANY  was  wrapped  in  night  and  silence; 
ID  through  the  olive  groves,  grown  dark  and 
desolate  with  approaching  winter,  not  a  breath  of 
wind  stirred  a  silver  leaf.  In  their  chambers  the 
household  of  Martha  slept.  The  three  alone  slept 
not,  but  prayed  and  talked  alternately,  and  all 
seemed  restless. 

"  The  pain  deepeneth  at  my  heart,"  said  Mary. 
"  A  great  fear  cometh  over  me,"  chimed  in  Martha. 
"If  we  could  but   have   news   of   Him,    that    He 
liveth." 

"  Were  He  dead,  we  should  have  tidings  of  it," 
said  Lazarus ;  but  they  knew  not  whether  he  meant 
from  hearsay,  or  through  supernatural  means. 

"  Surely  He  knoweth  that  we  love  Him  and  fain 
would  die  with  Him,"  said  the  loving  Mary.  "  Be 
still!  I  hear  a  knocking  at  the  gate!  "  she  added 
quickly,  ever  the  alert  one,  and  she  raised  her  hand. 
All  stood  up,  with  looks  alternately  of  hope  and 
dread.  "  Perchance,  't  is  He,"  said  Mary. 

"  Or  soldiers  come  to  seek  Him,"  added  Martha, 
about  to  clap  her  hands  to  call  together  the  attend- 
ants. 

"  Nay,  silence,"  ordered  Lazarus.  "  If  't  is  the 
Lord,  wake  no  man,  and,  if  't  is  He,  let  Him  not 
wait." 

211 


212  LAZARUS. 

"  He  is  not  wont  to  knock,"  said  Mary,  "  but 
doth  come  in  some  God-like  way  we  wot  not  of." 

Then  they  proceeded  to  the  gate. 

A  woman's  figure  stood  there.  When  she  saw 
them  approaching,  carrying  a  swinging  Roman  lamp, 
she  called  out:  "  'T  is  I,  the  Magdalene." 

"  Thou,  the  Magdalene  ?  And  at  this  hour  ? 
What  brings  thee,  Mary  ?  "  The  voice  of  Lazarus 
had  a  strange  vibration  while  he  spoke,  and  his  hand 
trembled  while  he  tried  to  undo  the  bolt.  The 
Magdalene's  voice  had  been  the  last  he  had  heard 
ere  he  had  died,  its  echo  had  seemed  to  die  and  live 
again  with  him.  Even  now  the  peace  her  words 
had  given  him,  the  loving  but  despairing  look,  the 
glistening  tears  of  love  and  agony;  all  had  come 
back  at  the  sound  of  the  Magdalene's  voice. 

"  I  come  once  more  with  a  message,"  she  began, 
looking  round  tremblingly  while  she  spoke,  to  see 
whether  she  was  being  followed.  "  I  would  come 
into  the  house  and  speak  with  you,  for  the  enemies 
of  the  Lord  are  abroad  to-night;  't  was  therefore 
that  I  came  so  late.  Forgive  me,  Martha,  that  I 
disturb  thy  rest." 

But  Martha  laid  her  hand  gently  on  the  Mag- 
dalene's shoulder,  with  unwonted  tenderness. 

"  Rest,  Mary  ? "  she  said.  "  We  cannot  rest  while 
the  fear  of  the  Lord's  death  is  ever  before  us." 

By  this  time  they  reached  the  house. 

"  I  have  news  that  will  rejoice  your  hearts,"  con- 
tinued Mary  Magdalene.  "  The  Lord  cometh  to 
Bethany  to-morrow." 

'  We  will  make  ready  for  Him,"  broke  in  Martha, 
and  already  her  housewifely  mind  flew  to  a  dozen 


LAZARUS.  213 

details.  Could  she  get  this  or  that  to  set  before  her 
Lord  ?  The  finest  table  linen  must  be  brought 
out,  the  oldest  wine  made  ready.  Jacob,  the  old 
servant,  must  be  sent  early  to  the  market,  to  see 
whether  ortolans  were  to  be  got ;  yet,  in  her  heart, 
she  knew  that  the  Lord  would  partake  only  of  the 
simplest  fare. 

"  He  cometh  not  here,"  said  Magdalene,  "  lest 
His  enemies  should  search  for  Him,  but  will  lodge 
in  the  house  of  Simon,  thy  father."  And,  all  the 
while,  Magdalene  looked  not  towards  Lazarus — 
although  she  longed  to  gaze  on  those  much-loved 
features,  to  see  whether  death  had  changed  them — 
lest  her  gaze  should  betray  the  wild  joy  that  filled 
her  heart. 

"  Wilt  not  speak  to  me  ?"  said  Lazarus  to  her 
gently.  "  Hast  forgotten  how  thou  didst  see  me  die 
and  comfort  me  ? " 

Mary's  pale  face  flushed  to  the  very  temples,  to 
where  the  fair  tresses  rose  in  crested  wave  around 
her  head ;  but  she  answered  not. 

Then,  half  reproachfully  and  half  inquiringly, 
Lazarus  went  on :  '  Thou  didst  not  see  me  rise 
again  ?  Where  didst  thou  hide  ?  " 

Magdalene  blushed  again,  but,  in  the  dim  light  of 
the  lamp,  the  blush  was  not  observed.  None  knew 
better  than  herself  how  she  had  longed  to  rush  and 
see  him,  but  she  had  feared  two  things:  to  betray 
her  joy,  and  to  leave  the  Virgin  Mary. 

"  I  did  not  like  to  leave  the  mother  of  our  Lord," 
she  answered;  "for  she  is  in  daily  torment  lest  the 
Jews  do  kill  the  Christ,  and  every  night  she  mourn- 
eth,  and  every  morning  dreadeth  that  that  day  be 
come." 


214  LAZARUS. 

"  And  thou  dost  minister  to  her  ?  "  asked  Lazarus 
with  gentle  tenderness. 

"  How  could  I  otherwise  ?  She  hath  no  one  but 
this  Son,  and  Him  she  dares  not  claim  as  hers,  in 
that  He  is  the  Son  of  God.  Methinks  her  state  is 
more  piteous  than  the  poor  woman's  who  can  hold 
her  children  to  her  breast  and  know  they  are  her 
own." 

"  Nay,  but  she  is  blessed  above  all  women,"  an- 
swered Lazarus  reverently.  "  Nations  shall  worship 
her  and  think  that,  through  her,  they  shall  obtain 
salvation." 

"  Is  she  then  as  a  saint  ?  "  asked  Mary  innocently. 

"  Nay,  she  is  naught  but  woman  like  thyself;  but 
she  was  chosen  for  her  pure  simplicity." 

"  Like  me!  "  exclaimed  the  Magdalene.  "  Like 
me!  Would  I  were  indeed  like  her,  pure  and  sin- 
less. To  be  with  her  is  like  sitting  in  the  Temple 
when  they  sing  psalms." 

But  thou  art  forgiven;  and  a  sinner  forgiven  is 
no  more  a  sinner." 

The  Magdalene  looked  at  him  with  gratitude  and 
joy.  "  Dost  know  all  things  now,  Lazarus  ?  Why 
this  earth  was  made,  and  why  that  God  did  let  sin 
enter,  and  why  the  Christ  must  die ;  and  didst  thou 
go  to  heaven  and  to  hell  ?  And  when  will  the  end 
of  all  things  come  ?  " 

Woman-like,  she  asked  one  question  after  another 
without  waiting  for  an  answer.  Woman-like,  she 
thought  that  the  knowledge  of  these  things  was 
death's  requital;  the  end  to  be  attained  by  it. 

In  breathless  silence,  as  though  yet  hoping  that 
their  brother  would  tell  the  secrets  that  their  hearts 


LAZARUS.  215 

longed  to  know,  would  grant  the  Magdalene's  re- 
quest, though  theirs  he  had  refused,  the  sisters 
waited,  leaning  against  the  wall. 

"  I  know  nothing  at  all,  nor  ever  left  this  earth. 
Dost  not  remember,  Mary,  how  I  met  thee  in  the 
olive  groves  ?  " 

"  And  was  it  really  thou  ?  Methought  after  that, 
perhaps,  it  was  but  a  vision  or  a  dream.  Thou  didst 
give  me  a  message  which  I  took  faithfully." 

But  Lazarus  made  no  answer ;  his  eyes  were  raised 
to  heaven,  and  his  lips  moved  as  if  in  prayer.  "  I 
have  asked  whether  I  may  tell  thee  what  befell 
me,"  he  said  at  last,  "  and  methinks  I  may  for  the 
glory  of  God.  Surely  if  I  die,  who  will  testify  of 
these  things,  if  I  speak  not  ?  And  do  thou  Mag- 
dalene write.  Thy  father  was  a  scribe,  and  thou 
too  hast  the  art.  Bring  hither  thy  pen  and  write 
what  I  shall  say,  that  future  generations  may  know 
what  befell  Lazarus  for  God's  glory." 

In  the  stillness  of  the  night,  with  the  dim  lamp 
throwing  giant  shadows  on  the  wall,  and  barely 
lighting  up  their  features,  the  three  women  half  sat, 
half  reclined,  upon  the  carpets  that  covered  the  wide 
Roman  hall,  their  eyes  wide  open  with  expectant 
wonder,  listening  while  the  Magdalene  wrote  a  scroll 
that,  later,  would  be  destroyed ;  so  that  tradition 
only  would  echo  on  the  wonders  told  that  night  by 
Lazarus. 

'  There  was  but  one  moment — when  thy  song 
ceased,  Magdalene — when  my  faint  heart  did  fail 
me.  It  was  but  the  failing  of  the  flesh,  the  sudden 
suffocation  when  the  heart  doth  cease  to  beat. 
Then  I  awoke,  as  it  seemed,  from  sleep,  feeling  light 


2l6  LAZARUS. 

and  well,  as  if  a  burden  had  been  cast  from  me ;  and 
then  I  saw  that  I  was  even  in  this  garden,  and  a 
multitude  of  people,  whom  I  knew  well,  were  as- 
sembled to  see  the  burial  of  some  great  man.  I  spoke 
to  some,  but  none  did  answer  me  nor  looked  my  way, 
and  methought  I  was  struck  dumb.  Then  I  heard 
one  say  to  the  other :  '  'T  is  the  burial  of  Lazarus. ' 

Then  I  bethought  me  I  would  go  back  to  see 
whether  my  body  still  lay  there,  for  I  said,  '  If  Laza- 
rus doth  still  lie  here,  then  indeed  the  spirit  and  the 
body  are  not  one,  even  as  the  Lord  hath  spoken. ' 

'  Then  I  entered  my  room  and  I  saw  my  own 
body  stretched  out  on  the  bed,  and  all  ye  good 
women  and  Joanna  and  Rachel  too  did  tend  me  and 
embalm  me.  And,  while  I  looked,  methought, 
'  How  much  of  foul  greed  is  in  that  face,  how  much 
of  weary  thought;  yet  how  little  hath  that  body 
understood  the  burden  that  it  carried.' 

I  looked  at  the  costly  curtains  of  my  room.  I 
smelt  the  fragrant  scents  that  rose  on  the  air;  I 
noticed  the  costly  cedar-wood  carvings  and  the 
Ethiopian  ivories,  and  I  said:  'Thou  fool;  and 
didst  thou  think  all  this  beautiful  and  rare,  and  thy- 
self great,  because  thou  hadst  these  things,  and 
versed  in  love  and  wisdom  because  thou  hadst  read 
the  sayings  and  doings  of  other  fools  as  great  as 
thy  own  self  ? ' 

"  And  then  it  seemed  as  though  the  body  mocked 
me,  and  while  ye  were  striving  to  bind  one  arm  in 
grave  clothes,  it  did  rise  and  seem  to  point  at  me 
with  blue,  dead  fingers,  and  a  voice  like  mine  did 
seem  to  say :  '  Truly  now  thou  hast  escaped  me,  but 
in  life  we  were  not  divided.  Who  was  the  stronger, 


LAZARUS.  217 

thou  or  I  ?  When  thou  wouldst  pray,  thine  eyes  did 
fall  with  sleep,  and  when  the  Spirit  bade  thee  go  and 
seek  the  poor,  thy  feet  refused  their  office,  and  thou 
didst  leave  it  for  a  more  convenient  day ;  and  so,  all 
through  thy  life,  't  is  comfort  and  ambition  that 
have  been  thy  creed  and  thy  pursuit,  and  they  are 
Satan's,  and  so  am  I,  and  so  also  is  all  flesh  and 
lust.  'T  is  all  from  Satan.' 

"  And   while  he  spake  I  wept  to  see  my  body 

thus,  that  might  have  been  much  otherwise  had  I 

but  known  the  Spirit's  power;  and  to  myself  I  said, 

If  I  could  but  live  again  I  would  live  differently, 

for  now  I  know. ' 

"  And  the  voice  near  me  whispered:  '  Trouble 
not  thyself,  for  thou  art  forgiven,  in  that  thou 
believest  in  the  Christ.'  '  Nevertheless,'  I  thought, 
'  because  I  do  believe,  I  wish  that  it  had  been  even 
so,  and  that  this  earthly  temple  had  been  kept  more 
beautiful.' 

"  Then  they  raised  my  body  and  bore  it  forth 
'midst  wailing  cries,  and  I  would  fain  have  wiped 
the  tears  from  off  your  faces,  but  I  could  not ;  and 
I  followed  by  the  side  of  mine  own  body  to  see 
where  they  would  lay  it,  and  all  that  night  I  wan- 
dered by  the  house  and  sought  ye  and  called  ye  by 
your  names,  but  ye  could  not  see  me.  Then  at 
midnight  came  another  spirit  to  me,  that  of  an  old 
man,  and  he  took  me  by  the  hand  and  said  :  '  What 
doest  thou  here,  Lazarus  ?  Why  dost  thou  still 
stay  near  thy  home  and  thy  riches  and  thy  vessels 
of  silver  and  gold  ?  Thou  hast  much  to  see  and 
hear,  for  that  thou  art  dead  for  the  glory  of  God  and 
shalt  live  again.' 


2l8  LAZARUS. 

'  And  shall  I  see  Him  yet  again;  Him  whom 
my  soul  delighteth  in  ? '  I  asked  of  the  old  man. 
'  Shall  I  see  the  Christ  ? ' 

'  Yea,  thou  shalt  see  Him  again  even  on  earth, 
for  thou  shalt  rise  again ;  but  go  now,  appear  to 
thine  whom  thou  lovest  best,  and  repeat  the  message 
that  shall  be  spoken  to  thee;  for,  during  the  first 
twelve  hours  that  follow  death,  't  is  given  to  thee  to 
comfort  those  that  thou  hast  loved,  if  so  be  thy  love 
be  pure  and  good,  and  that  they  need  thee.' 

"  And  then,  sweet  Magdalene,  I  saw  in  memory 
thy  sad  eyes,  as  they  had  been  at  my  death-bed,  and 
methought,  '  Surely  't  is  she  that  needeth  me  the 
most.'  Yet  when  I  came  to  thee,  I  bethought  me 
of  what  the  Lord  would  have  me  do,  and  it  came 
strong  upon  me  to  give  thee  the  message  of  which 
thou  dost  wot." 

Here  Lazarus  looked  lovingly  at  the  Magdalene, 
and  her  eyes  began  to  fill  with  tears  of  mingled  joy 
and  wonder. 

"  And  didst  feel  that  thou  wert  dead  ?"  asked 
Martha. 

"  Nay,  I  felt  only  a  great  rest  and  lightness  and 
that  evil  thoughts  no  more  oppressed  me ;  but,  for 
all  else,  I  seemed  to  be  yet  myself,  and  to  be  yet  in 
the  same  place.  And  I  said  to  the  old  man:  '  If 
this  be  death,  where  then  are  heaven  and  hell,  and 
where  is  God  and  where  is  Satan  ? ' 

"  '  Be  still,'  he  said.  '  Dost  thou  that  hath  but 
lately  left  thy  fleshly  case,  with  all  thy  evil  thoughts 
and  wrongful  understandings,  and  thy  cavilings, 
and  hankerings  after  thine  own  goods,  dost  think 
that  thou  art  fit  to  come  before  the  God  Eternal  ? 


LAZARUS.  219 

Thou  art  still  in  this  world's  surroundings.  Thou 
art  in  Hades,  and  Hades  is  the  air  and  space  around 
the  earth.  See,  thou  art  quite  close,  so  far  only  art 
thou  risen,  as  high  as  yonder  tree. ' 

"  Then  I  seized  him  by  the  white  sleeve  of  his 
robe,  and  in  my  hands  it  felt  soft  like  the  downy 
clouds,  like  wool,  yet  without  substance,  and  in 
deepest  agony  I  cried :  '  How  then  can  I  know 
whether  I  be  saved  ? '  '  Dost  believe  in  Jesus,  the 
Christ  ? '  the  Spirit  asked.  '  Verily  and  indeed  I 
do,'  I  answered.  '  Then  the  same  hope  that 
brought  thee  here  will  help  thee  still.' 

'  Then  a  great  joy  filled  mine  heart,  a  joy  to 
which  no  earthly  joy  can  be  compared.  The  joy  of 
certainty  and  rest,  which  no  man  hath  on  earth. 
'  Why,  then,  do  men  fear  death  ? '  I  asked  again. 
'  They  fear  what  they  know  not.  They  believe  in 
a  life  and  a  death  of  their  own  thinking.  They 
live  in  dreams  of  their  own  making  and  waken  but 
to  die.'  '  And  who  art  thou  ? '  I  asked.  '  I  am  the 
Spirit  of  Truth.  In  the  world  I  cannot  live,  for 
Satan  seeketh  to  destroy  me,  and  he  is  the  father  of 
lies.  Some  I  visit  may  seek  for  me,  but  there  is  no 
Truth  on  earth.  Here  I  abide,  and,  when  all  dream- 
ing and  scheming  and  lying  and  cheating  are  at  an 
end  for  any  man,  I  meet  the  soul  that  hath  loved 
Truth  and  I  leave  it  not  again.  But  thou  must  go 
back  to  the  earth,  and  I  cannot  come  with  thee. 
See  that  thou  speak  the  Truth  and  love  the  Truth 
and  live  it.' 

"  Then  I  asked  him :  '  What  is  Truth  ? '  And  the 
old  man  answered :  '  Truth  is  that  which  a  man 
heareth  in  his  heart,  and  observeth  not.  'T  is  the 


220  LAZARUS. 

voice  of  the  I  AM.  And  all  know  what  is  Truth, 
but  they  love  it  not.  Yet  the  greatest  gift  of  all  is 
Truth,  for  he  who  hath  it  not  causeth  his  brother  to 
err,  which  is  the  greatest  sin  of  all.  Truth  is  like  a 
pointed  sword  held  heavenwards  so  that  the  light 
flasheth  on  both  sides.  'T  is  like  a  ball  of  crystal, 
so  suspended  in  the  air  that  it  leaveth  no  shadow, 
and  all  men  can  see  its  purity.  Truth  is  like  the 
eyes  of  the  new-born  babe  that  cannot  speak.  Truth 
is  like  white  sails  on  a  sea,  a  light  set  on  a  hill ;  it  is 
fearless  as  a  hero  in  a  battle ;  a  head  with  an  iron 
neck  that  none  can  sever.  Like  a  rock  that  no 
earthquake  can  make  tremble,  so  is  Truth.  Truth 
echoeth  through  ages  and  will  not  be  stilled,  and  it 
shineth  forth  to  the  generations  still  to  come ;  but 
all  in  vain.' 

'  Then  he  took  me  across  the  air,  over  the  trees 
and  valleys,  and  first  he  pointed  out  to  me  Jerusa- 
lem, and  while  I  looked  I  saw  an  angel  with  black 
wings  flying  hither  and  thither  over  the  heads  of  the 
multitudes.  I  remembered  the  black  wings  that  had 
seemed  so  near  me  on  the  road  to  Jericho,  and  I 
bade  the  old  man  pause  awhile  and  tell  me  who  was 
the  angel  with  the  sombre  wings.  '  'T  is  Satan,'  he 
made  answer,  and  even  while  he  spoke  the  angel 
raised  his  face,  and  on  it  was  such  a  look  of  blank 
despair  as  I  have  never  seen  on  that  of  any  man. 
'  What  doeth  he  here  ? '  I  asked.  '  He  feareth  that 
the  glory  of  God  is  nigh  at  hand.  He  goeth  about 
making  lies ;  he  striveth  yet  to  harden  the  hearts  of 
the  Pharisees  and  the  scribes  against  the  Christ. 
Caiaphas  and  Judas  and  many  others  have  been 
given  over  to  him,  but  he  will  have  more.  He 


LAZARUS.  221 

fighteth  hard  for  Nicodemus  and  for  Pontius  Pilate. 
He  thinketh  yet  that  the  divine  spark  he  hath  in 
him  of  God  can  fight  with  God.'  '  Will  he,  then, 
die  ? '  I  asked.  '  The  spirit  that  God  hath  made 
can  never  die,'  replied  the  Spirit  of  Truth;  '  but, 
one  day,  Satan  will  be  given  to  good  works,  and  that 
will  be  his  hell;  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Him  he 
hateth,  and  tend  the  sick  and  suffering,  for  the  Spirit 
of  the  Almighty  will  prevail.  '  Beware,  Lazarus, 
for  he  will  sift  thee  as  one  sifteth  wheat,  and  tenfold 
more  when  thou  dost  return  to  life.  Here  he  can- 
not touch  thee ;  but  now  that  thou  hast  learned  the 
way  to  live  't  will  be  harder  for  thee.  But  thou  art 
forever  the  testimony  of  the  power  and  love  of 
Christ,  and  the  Spirit  of  Truth  will  be  with  thee.' 

"  I  felt  greatly  troubled  and  I  said :  '  Shall  I  fail  ? 
Shall  I  fail  ? '  And,  like  sweet  music  wafted  over 
great  waters  that  rolled  with  hollow  sound  beneath, 
methought  I  heard  the  words :  '  Fear  not.  My  grace 
is  sufficient  for  thee,  for  My  strength  is  made  per- 
fect in  weakness.' 

"  Then  I  saw  that  other  spirits  came  and  went 
about  us,  and  all  looked  peaceful  and  quiet,  as 
though  no  longer  troubled  about  aught  below.  And 
I  knew  no  one  face,  but  all  seemed  those  of  friends 
that  I  had  loved,  and,  as  they  flitted  past  me,  they 
cried  out,  '  Welcome,  welcome.'  Then  I  saw  that 
where  I  was  there  was  no  night  nor  day,  only  a 
strange  glow  of  light ;  and  of  hours,  of  time,  of  sleep 
— they  were  not.  Then  I  said  to  the  Spirit  of  Truth : 
'  Is  there  naught  that  I  can  do  for  the  Christ  in  these 
four  days  ?  Can  I  go  and  comfort  the  hearts  of  the 
desolate  or  watch  beside  the  sick  ? '  '  Thou  hadst 


222  LAZARUS. 

all  life  for  that,'  the  Spirit  of  Truth  replied  reproach- 
fully. '  Now  it  is  too  late.  Thou  canst  not  do  it 
till  thou  goest  back  to  earth.'  Then,  thinking  of 
the  years  I  had  misspent,  how  the  Lord  had  bid  me 
leave  all  and  follow  Him,  I  wept.  But  the  Spirit  of 
Truth  consoled  me.  '  Weep  not,'  he  said,  '  for 
thou  canst  pray.  This  is  denied  to  no  one  but 
Satan ;  he  may  not  pray ;  oft  great  troubles,  great 
adversities,  and  terrors  come  upon  him  and  he  fain 
would  cry  out  to  the  Lord;  but  he  knoweth  that 
God  heareth  him  not,  and  that  prayer  from  him 
availeth  nothing.' 

"  So  then  I  knelt  like  a  little  child  and  prayed 
there  where  I  stood,  and,  while  I  prayed,  others  too 
came  round  me  and  prayed  also ;  and  the  sound  of 
our  voices  rose  like  music  on  the  air,  and  it  was  as 
if  angels'  voices,  too,  joined  in  with  us  and  sang: 
'  Tell  it  to  the  Lord,  tell  it  to  the  Lord ! ' 

"  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  prayed  too;  and,  when 
we  had  all  risen,  he  said  to  me :  '  Prayer  is  the  key 
to  heaven,  for  with  prayer  there  cometh  faith,  and 
faith  leadeth  on  to  heaven.  Remember  that  when 
thou  comest  again  on  earth,  and  cease  not  to  pray. ' 

"  And  I  bowed  my  head,  for  I  seemed  not  as  a 
ruler ;  but  the  spirit  of  a  little  child  had  come  upon 
me." 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

"  '"PHEN  the  Spirit  of  Truth  took  me  by  the  hand 
1  and  said :  '  Come  now  and  I  will  show  thee 
the  earth  as  it  really  is ;  not  as  it  seemeth  to  thee. 
Thou  shalt  see  into  the  hearts  of  men. ' 

"  And,  hand  in  hand,  we  flew  over  the  houses  of 
Jerusalem,  and  over  the  golden  canopy  of  the 
Temple,  and,  as  we  passed,  it  was  as  if  the  roofs  of 
the  houses  were  removed,  and  we  saw  into  the 
houses,  and  then  it  seemed  as  though  a  veil  were 
torn  from  the  hearts  of  them  that  dwelt  therein,  and 
we  could  read  their  thoughts.  First  the  Spirit  took 
me  to  the  house  of  Pontius  Pilate.  His  room  was 
dark,  but,  while  we  stood  at  the  window,  our  own 
radiance  seemed  to  light  it  up  and  show  us  where  he 
lay,  tossing  on  his  couch ;  and  we  heard  him  say : 
'  This  Man  hath  done  no  evil  by  the  Roman  law. 
He  shall  not  die.'  Then  he  rose  from  his  couch  and 
paced  the  room,  hi-s  fists  clenched,  and  his  voice 
rang  out  with  a  bitter  cry:  '  If  I  could  but  know 
whether  He  be  the  Christ !  Is  it,  oh,  is  it  indeed 
He?' 

"  Then  I  said  to  the  Spirit  of  Truth:  '  This  man 
would  fain  believe;  why,  then,  hath  he  not  the 
power?'  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  made  answer: 
'  He  will  not  let  himself  believe,  for  fear  of  Caiaphas. 
He  knoweth  the  Roman  law,  and  the  Christ  hath 

223 


224  LAZARUS. 

done  naught  against  the  Roman  law,  but  he  feareth 
Caiaphas;  for  once  Caiaphas  did  send  wo~d  to  the 
Emperor  about  the  pictures  of  his  gods  he  had  set 
up,  and,  again,  about  the  Corban.  Twice  hath 
Pontius  Pilate  erred,  and  twice  did  Caiaphas  obtain 
hearing  of  the  Emperor,  so  now  Pilate  feareth  to 
offend  him.  Thus  in  this  world  do  men  barter  great 
things  for  little,  and  eternal  salvation  for  the  good 
opinion  of  men  like  unto  themselves.  Yet  the  heart 
of  Pilate  is  such  an  one  as  God  doth  love.  'T  is  a 
noble  heart  that  would  do  right,  a  kind  heart  and 
one  that  hateth  to  do  injustice.  Yet  he  hath  so 
mystified  himself  that  he  knoweth  no  longer  what 
Truth  is.' 

'  Then  he  took  me  to  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  the 
High  Priest,  and  the  heart  I  witnessed  there  in  all 
its  nakedness  made  my  own  heart  faint,  for  on  it  I 
could  see  no  white  spot  at  all,  only  craft,  and  malice, 
and  vengeance,  and  defiance.  It  was  as  if  the  spark 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  had  been  quenched.  Greed  and 
hate  and  suspicion  were  in  that  heart.  Love  could 
not  lodge  therein,  nor  Truth;  it  was  like  a  garden 
choked  with  weeds.  '  This  man,'  said  the  Spirit, 
'  is  a  devil,  for  he  knoweth  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy 
that  is  given  to  him  through  Aaron  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  is  the  Christ ;  but  he  hath  sold  his  soul  to 
Satan,  rather  than  have  it  said  that  a  greater  than 
he  is  on  earth.  He  knoweth  that  He  whom  he 
persecuteth  hath  power  given  Him  from  above.  He 
knoweth  that  the  vengeance  of  God  will  come  upon 
him,  and,  though  he  knoweth  not  for  a  surety  that 
there  is  a  future  life,  yet  he  feareth  it,  and  that  he 
will  be  eternally  consumed.  All  this  he  knoweth, 


LAZARUS.  225 

and  therefore  doth  he  sin  wilfully ;  and  wilful  sin  is 
the  worst  of  all,  and  cometh  rarely.  For  most  men 
sin  because  they  think  not,  or  are  too  busy,  or  too 
careless,  or  are  choked  with  the  cares  of  this  world ; 
nearly  all  would  fain  believe,  but  cannot ;  but  this 
man  doth  believe  and  will  not.' 

"  Then  Truth  held  a  mirror  before  my  eyes,  and 
in  that  mirror  I  saw  a  vision.  I  saw  Caiaphas  strug- 
gling with  a  man  in  armour,  and  the  man's  armour 
flashed  forth  blue  lights  like  tongues  of  dying  fire, 
and  he  upheld  his  sword.  Then  he  thrust  his  sword 
into  the  side  of  Caiaphas,  and  the  blood  spurted  forth 
in  jet-black  streams,  as  if  the  heart  of  him  had  been 
corrupt.  And,  hovering  over  the  High  Priest's 
body,  I  saw  once  more  the  black-winged  angel 
whom  the  Spirit  of  Truth  did  call  Satan,  and  he 
cried  exultingly :  '  Thou  art  mine,  Caiaphas,  thou 
art  mine  forever !  ' 

"  And  while  he  spoke,  the  look  of  despair  I  had 
seen  on  Satan's  face  o'erspread  the  countenance  of 
Caiaphas,  filling  me  with  such  horror  and  such  dread 
that  I  longed  to  see  somewhere  a  pure  heart,  or  a 
ray  of  sunlight  to  relieve  my  soul  of  this  darkness 
and  desolation.  Then  turned  I  to  the  Spirit  and  I 
said :  '  I  can  look  no  longer  at  this  vision,  for  the 
despair  doth  penetrate  my  heart. ' 

"  Then  he  took  the  mirror  from  me.  '  Look  now 
at  no  vision,  but  the  Truth,'  he  said.  And,  even 
while  he  spoke,  I  saw  that  Caiaphas  paced  the  room 
impatiently,  and  looked  ever  towards  the  door. 
And  presently  I  saw  it  opened  and  a  man  enter 
crouching  and  ashamed,  like  one  who  thinketh  him- 
self too  vile  to  live ;  and,  as  he  approached  Caiaphas, 


226  LAZARUS. 

I  could  see  his  face  upturned,  and  lo,  it  was  the  face 
of  him  that  is  called  Iscariot,  and  I  started  when  I 
saw  him,  for  methought  he  had  been  the  follower 
of  Christ." 

Here  Lazarus  paused,  as  though  fearing  to  impart 
a  secret  that  was  not  his  own ;  but  Martha,  looking 
at  him,  said:  "  I  have  ever  had  a  strange  mistrust 
of  Judas." 

"  Yet  we  must  not  speak  of  this,"  said  Lazarus, 
"  for  't  was  but  as  the  vision  of  a  dream." 

But  the  women's  eager  faces  seemed  to  impel  him 
to  proceed.  Another  day  was  dawning,  and  now, 
one  by  one,  the  members  of  the  household  came  in 
silently  to  the  hall,  marvelling  to  find  their  master 
there  at  this  early  hour.  They  ranged  themselves 
in  rapt  attention  to  hear  the  words  that  fell  from 
him. 

"  And  when  I  looked  on  Judas,"  continued  Laz- 
arus, "  I  saw  he  had  the  same  despairing  look  that 
I  had  noted  in  the  face  of  Caiaphas.  Withal  there 
was  not  that  hatred  in  him,  and  I  pitied  him,  for  I 
saw  that  his  was  a  weak,  timid  heart,  and  that  he 
feared  this  Caiaphas.  When  Judas  entered,  Caiaphas 
looked  sternly  at  him  and  his  voice  came  angrily. 
'  What  wouldst  thou  with  me,  Judas  ?  Have  I  not 
done  with  thee  ?  Didst  thou  not  covenant  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver  to  sell  the  Nazarene  ?  Wherefore 
troublest  thou  me  ? ' — '  I  come  to  crave  thy  pardon, 
noble  Caiaphas,  and  to  beg  thee  to  release  me  from 
my  promise,  for  I  wot  not  what  I  said.  Methinks  I 
was  drunk  with  wine  to  say  I  would  betray  the  Lord 
for  thirty  pieces  of  silver. '  '  Dost  want  more  ? ' 
asked  Caiaphas,  eying  him  with  doubt.  '  Nay,  I 


LAZARUS.  227 

want  none  at  all/  said  Judas,  '  only  to  be  freed  from 
this  my  promise.  I  cannot  betray  the  Lord.' 
'  Fool ! '  roared  Caiaphas,  beyond  himself  with  rage. 
Then,  seizing  Iscariot  by  the  sleeve,  he  took  him  to 
the  window  and  pointed  to  the  pale  mists  of  dawn 
that  hovered  in  tenuous  masses  above  the  earth. 
'  Seest  thou  that  sun  just  showing  above  yon  moun- 
tain ? '  he  asked  the  wretched  man,  whose  despairing 
eyes  were  barely  lifted  and  whose  head  was  bent 
painfully  beneath  the  iron  grasp  of  Caiaphas.  '  Be- 
fore that  sun  shall  rise  again  thou  wilt  be  lying  with 
thy  eyes  glazed  in  death,  unless  thou  keep  thy 
promise  to  betray  this  Jesus.'  ' 

"  Oh,  poor  Judas!  "  exclaimed  the  tender-hearted 
Mary.  "  Could  we  not  help  him  to  escape  this 
man  ?  " 

"  He  hath  the  Lord,"  said  Martha  sternly. 

But  Lazarus  continued:  "  And  even  while  Caia- 
phas was  speaking,  methought  I  saw  the  frame  of 
Judas  shrink  into  an  image  half  its  own  size;  yet 
still  I  hoped  that  he  would  say :  '  I  will  die,  I  will 
die  gladly  rather  than  betray  my  Lord.'  But  in- 
stead, as  though  greatly  fearing  Caiaphas,  he  turned 
and  fled ;  and  as  he  fled,  Caiaphas  laughed  a  laugh 
so  full  of  scorn  and  hate  that  't  would  have  more 
fitly  issued  from  the  lips  of  devils.  '  Ha,  ha,'  he 
scoffed,  '  thou  who  wouldst  betray  thy  friend  for 
thirty  pieces  of  silver,  dost  think  to  cozen  Caiaphas  ? 
Like  all  traitors,  thou  fearest  death,  and  't  is  death 
I  will  hold  over  thee,  thou  red-haired  poltroon !  ' 
And  I  wept  to  think  that  I  could  not  go  to  Jesus 
and  warn  Him  of  His  foe ;  but  the  Spirit  of  Truth 
had  read  my  thoughts.  He  smiled  and  said :  '  Poor 


228  LAZARUS. 

fool,  and  who  art  thou  to  think  thou  canst  inform 
thy  Lord  of  aught  ?  All  that  thou  hast  but  now 
perceived  hath  been  known  to  Him  since  Time 
began — aye,  before  Time  was. '  Then,  sick  at  heart 
at  the  sight  of  all  this  treachery,  I  turned  me  to  the 
Spirit  of  Truth  and  said :  '  Canst  thou  not  show  me 
some  pure  hearts  to  raise  my  drooping  spirits  ?  Are 
there  no  good  upon  the  earth  ? '  And  Truth  an- 
swered :  '  There  are  few ;  none  are  wholly  good,  but 
some  have  trust.' 

'  Then  he  took  me  through  palaces  of  the  Jews 
and  of  the  Romans  and  into  the  houses  of  great 
merchants ;  but  nowhere  saw  I  one  heart  that  thirsted 
for  knowledge  of  the  Christ.  The  women  were 
content  to  deck  themselves  with  jewels  and  to  scold 
their  serving-maids,  and  each  spake  ill  of  another's 
beauty  or  her  virtue.  Here  and  there  I  saw  little 
children  who  looked  to  heaven  and  asked  their 
parents :  '  Who  liveth  beyond  the  clouds  ? '  But 
their  parents  only  answered :  '  Torment  me  not  with 
questionings  ' ;  or,  '  When  thou  art  a  grown  man 
thou  wilt  know.'  And  therewith  the  child  must 
needs  be  satisfied.  It  is  thus  that  ignorance  and 
darkness  are  continued  from  one  generation  to 
another. 

"  Then  the  Spirit  took  me  into  the  houses  of  the 
rulers  of  the  Synagogue,  the  governors  of  the 
people  and  the  lawyers,  and,  looking  into  their 
hearts,  I  saw  that  there  was  but  little  knowledge  in 
them,  only  such  as  was  required  to  cozen  other 
men.  They  cared  not  for  their  country's  good,  nor 
for  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  In  their  hearts  was  only 
love  of  money  and  great  power,  and  they  craved 


LAZARUS.  229 

strength  but  to  crush  the  lowly,  not  to  oppose  the 
foe.  They  laid  tithes  and  taxes  on  the  people,  to 
fill  their  own  coffers,  not  for  the  grandeur  of  the 
land;  and  of  all  there  scarce  one  spoke  the  truth, 
and  of  the  lawyers  none ;  but  all  they  strove  for  was 
to  entangle  men  in  their  talk  and  to  make  them  bear 
false  witness.  And  all  I  saw  were  hypocrites  and 
liars,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  no  man  could  be 
saved  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  and  I  mar- 
velled that  God  consumed  them  not  with  fire. 

"  Then  the  Spirit  of  Truth  spake  yet  again  and 
said :  '  Now  will  I  show  to  thee  the  sweetest,  great- 
est spirit  of  all  women  that  are  upon  the  earth.' 
And  he  took  me  far  across  fields  and  villages  and 
hills  till  he  came  to  a  house  in  Nazareth,  and  I  said : 
'  This  I  know  is  where  dwelleth  the  mother  of  the 
Lord.'  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  said:  'She  is 
blessed  above  all  women,  and  many  nations  will 
worship  her.  Nevertheless,  she  is  not  divine,  for  all 
she  hath  been  chosen  to  give  earthly  life  to  the  Son 
of  God.  But  priests  of  many  countries  will  seek  to 
make  her  so,  in  that  they  may  catch  the  souls  of 
women ;  for  't  is  ever  women  whom  Satan  first  en- 
tangleth.' 

"  Then  said  I :  '  Who  then  is  Satan  ?  and  if  God 
hath  so  great  power,  why  doth  He  leave  this  man 
to  buffet  and  seduce  the  world  ? ' 

"  Then  the  Spirit  of  Truth  spoke  sternly  to  me: 
'  Be  silent,  and  inquire  not  into  the  things  of  God ! 
I,  too,  know  not  whence  is  Satan,  nor  wherefore. 
He  was  before  the  world  was  made.  Of  that  know- 
eth  only  God.  Canst  tell  how  the  lights  do  hang  in 
heaven  and  how  the  seas  do  rise  and  fall,  yet  go  no 


230  LAZARUS. 

farther  ?  Dost  know  how  the  leaf  of  the  flower  un- 
foldeth,  or  the  child  is  gendered  in  the  womb  ? 
These  things  first  find  out,  and  when  thou  hast  in- 
formed thyself  of  all  earthly  things — what  whiteneth 
the  snow,  and  whence  the  rivers  rush  to  reach  the 
sea;  when  thou  hast  learned  how  forms  the  fish 
within  the  shell,  and  why  the  mountains  quake — 
then  thou  canst  ask  of  God,  if  thou  art  bold  enough, 
wherefore  He  did  create  thee,  and  whence  is  Satan. 
Wouldst  be  a  scholar,  wouldst  learn  philosophy,  ere 
thou  canst  read ;  wouldst  fight  a  battle  ere  thou 
canst  buckle  on  the  sword  ?  Be  content,  and  ask 
not,  but  for  the  spirit  of  a  little  child,  and  to  be  born 
again  in  faith  and  love.' 

"  And,  thus  rebuked,  my  eyes  fell  in  confusion, 
and  once  more  they  sought  the  earth,  and  I  saw  the 
virgin  mother  kneeling  on  her  floor.  Never  shall  I 
forget  the  purity  of  that  enraptured  gaze,  that 
seemed  mutely  to  appeal  to  Heaven  to  ask  the 
meaning  of  this  grief  that  had  befallen  her;  why  she, 
who  had  preserved  ever  her  virginity,  and  married 
Joseph  of  Nazareth  but  for  a  companion  and  protec- 
tion, should  have  had  a  child,  and  further  should 
have  suffered  the  scorn  of  the  world  and  the  sus- 
picion of  her  husband  for  so  many  months.  She  was 
dressed  in  a  simple  woollen  gown  that  fell  from 
neck  to  feet,  and  her  hair,  yellow  as  wheat  that  doth 
await  the  reaper,  did  shimmer  in  the  sun,  contrast- 
ing strangely  with  her  dark  pencilled  eyebrows,  but 
harmonising  with  the  liquid  lustre  of  her  deep  blue 
eyes.  And,  looking  at  this  small,  frail  woman,  I 
marvelled  how  she  could  endure  so  much  and  live ; 
and  I  inquired  of  the  Spirit  of  Truth:  '  Doth  this 
woman  pray  always  ? ' 


LAZARUS.  231 

' '  And  he  answered :  '  Always ;  and  with  prayer 
she  hath  achieved  many  things.  When  Joseph 
found  that  she  was  with  child,  he  would  have  given 
her  a  bill  of  divorcement,  and  all  her  friends  did 
scoff  at  her.  "  Wherefore  didst  thou  marry  Joseph?  " 
inquired  they  of  her.  "  To  be  the  father  of  thy 
child  ?" 

"  '  And,  greatly  troubled,  Joseph  did  entreat  her 
to  advertise  him  whence  was  this  child ;  and,  loath 
to  hold  her  up  to  public  scorn,  he  said :  "  I  will  put 
thee  privily  away,  if  thou  wilt  tell  me ;  I  will  neither 
stone  thee,  nor  give  thee  a  writing  of  divorcement ; 
I  will  be  as  though  I  were  the  father  of  the  child." 

' ' '  But  she  could  do  naught  but  cry :  ' '  I  know  not. ' ' 
And  none  would  credit  her,  and  all  her  kindred 
came  about  her  murmuring  and  saying:  "  Why  hath 
this  reproach  of  the  enemy  come  upon  us  in  this 
day,  and  on  the  lineage  of  the  House  of  David,  that 
a  virgin  should  be  found  with  child  ?  " 

"  '  But  Mary  could  only  weep  and  say,  "  I  know 
not,  I  know  not  "  ;  and  she  shut  herself  up  and  denied 
herself  to  all,  for  the  reviling  of  her  enemies  over- 
whelmed her.  But,  in  her  heart,  she  knew  that  the 
child  was  of  the  Lord ;  for  the  angel  Gabriel  had  ap- 
peared to  her,  the  same  who  had  appeared  also  to 
Elisabeth  her  cousin  before  the  birth  of  John  the 
Baptist;  and  the  two  women  talked  much  together 
of  these  things  and  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
which  is  from  the  beginning  given  to  all  whose 
hearts  are  gentle  and  as  little  children's.  But  none 
could  understand  this  thing,  or  believe  that  it  was 
the  doing  of  the  Lord.  For  all  that,  Mary  prayed 
on  in  patience  that,  even  if  all  the  world  would  not 


232  LAZARUS. 

believe  it,  Joseph  might  receive  assurance  that  she 
was  a  pure  woman,  true  and  faitHful.  And  then 
one  night  her  prayer  was  answered,  for  an  angel 
from  the  Lord  appeared  to  Joseph,  and  thus  he 
spake:  "  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take 
unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife:  for  that  which  is  con- 
ceived in  her  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  she  shall 
bring  forth  a  Son,  and  thou  shalt  call  His  name 
Jesus :  for  He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins. ' ' 
'  'And  when  he  woke  from  sleep,  he  went  to  Mary 
and  fell  down  and  worshipped  her  and  said :  "  Mary, 
Mary,  forgive  me  ;  I  have  done  thee  grievous 
wrong.  Blessed  art  thou  amongst  women." 

'  'And  Mary,  who  was  ever  tender  and  loving  and 
forgiving,  looked  at  him  kneeling  at  her  feet,  and 
said  :  "  How  wouldst  thou  know,  Joseph,  except  the 
Lord  did  tell  thee  ?  But  forbear  to  kneel  to  me,  for 
I  am  but  the  Lord's  hand-maiden."  And  then  Mary 
opened  her  mouth  and  sang  a  beauteous  song,  a 
song  so  sweet  that  the  nations  will  sing  it  evermore ; 
and  at  the  Judgment  Day  shall  again  be  heard  the 
song  of  this  pure,  faithful  woman.  And,  as  she 
sang,  I  heard  a  chorus  of  angels  join  in  and  sing, 

Praise,  praise  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth 
peace." 

"  And  again  Truth  handed  me  the  mirror  in  which 
to  see  the  vision  of  the  future ;  and  I  saw  one  with 
a  sword  pierce  the  heart  of  the  Virgin  through  and 
through.  Again  I  saw  her  bowed  down  with  grief 
and  desolate,  wandering  towards  the  grave  of  her 
slain  Son ;  and,  as  she  walked,  great  drops  fell  from 
her  eyes,  and,  wherever  one  did  fall,  a  pure  white 
lily  did  spring  up  to  mark  the  place.  '  See  how 


LAZARUS.  233 

even  the  righteous  suffer !  Why  is  this  ? '  I  asked. 
And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  made  answer:  '  This  too 
shalt  thou  know,  when  all  things  be  made  manifest ; 
but  I  tell  thee  that  the  present  suffering  is  as  naught 
compared  with  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed.' 

'  Then  he  took  me  to  where  I  longed  to  be,  to 
Ephraim ;  but  when  I  would  fain  have  spoken  to  the 
Lord,  he  said:  '  Thine  hour  is  not  yet  come.' 

"  And  I  wept  to  think  that  I  might  not  go  to  my 
Lord.  Then  the  Spirit  of  Truth  went  on :  'So  weep 
all  in  Hades  that  have  loved  the  Lord.  They  sigh 
and  long  for  Him ;  but  't  is  worse  for  those  in  hell, 
for  they  sigh  and  long  in  vain. '  Then  I  said  to  the 
Spirit  of  Truth:  '  I  would  see  hell.' 

"  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  looked  very  stern  and 
answered :  '  Dost  know  that  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  alone  thou  art  saved  from  hell  ? '  '  Verily,'  I 
answered,  '  I  know  that  it  is  by  the  mercy  of  God 
and  the  love  of  Jesus  that  I  too  am  not  in  the  inner- 
most hell.' 

"  And  even  while  I  spoke  the  Spirit  answered: 
'  Yea,  thou  shalt  see  hell  also,  for  two  days  are  past, 
and  in  two  days  thou  shalt  see  earth  once  more.' 
Then  I  said  to  the  Spirit :  '  Must  this  thing  be,  that 
I  live  again  ? '  '  Yea,  thou  must  live  again  and  also 
die,'  the  Spirit  answered;  and  my  soul  did  faint 
within  me  at  these  words. 

"  Then  the  Spirit  took  me  hither  and  thither,  and 
I  now  saw  every  man  did  seek  his  own,  and  no 
other's  glory,  and  how  they  who  believed  not  sought 
to  fashion  their  own  destiny  and  straighten  their  own 
paths;  and  then  I  saw  how  some  great  judgment 
overtook  them,  such  as  they  had  never  recked  of. 


234  LAZARUS. 

The  miser's  money  was  taken  from  him  by  his 
enemy ;  the  lover  of  the  wanton  woman  found  her 
faithless.  The  steward  of  the  rich  man  gave  his 
lord's  gains  to  another,  and  while  the  king  went 
forth  to  conquer  other  lands  an  enemy  came  una- 
wares and  took  his  country.  The  husbandman  who 
would  reap  his  grain  saw  not  the  rain-clouds  gather- 
ing above,  or  the  thunder  thickening  behind  the 
mountain;  and  the  sailor  who  left  the  harbour  in 
fair  weather  heard  not  the  distant  moaning  of  the 
wind  that  soon  would  lash  the  waves  into  a  storm 
that  would  engulf  him. 

"  And  I  saw,  as  the  preacher  saith,  that  the  race 
is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong;  but 
that  victory  is  only  for  them  who  wait  patiently  for 
the  Lord.  And  I  wept  at  the  remembrance  of  the 
years  that  I  had  lost,  of  the  houses  I  had  builded, 
the  orchards  and  the  gardens  I  had  planted ;  and  I 
saw  that  all  the  labour  of  man  is  for  himself,  and 
that  yet  withal  he  is  never  satisfied." 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

'  HPHEN  the  Spirit  took  me  by  the  hand  and  said : 
1  '  Come  back  to  Hades,  and  thou  shalt  de- 
scend to-night  into  hell.'  And  we  flew  though  the 
air  more  swiftly  than  the  birds.  Then  said  I  to  the 
Spirit :  '  I  feel  so  strong,  like  to  a  young  eagle ;  yet 
on  earth  I  was  ever  weary  and  footsore. '  And  he 
made  answer:  '  It  was  the  body  chained  thee. 
When  the  spirit  is  delivered  from  the  body,  at  that 
moment  it  feels  lifted  up  and  is  capable  of  all  things. 
The  spirit  is  of  God  and  therefore  perfect.  The 
will  and  the  flesh  belong  to  man,  and  war  ever  with 
the  spirit.  Thy  thoughts  now  are  pure,  being  by 
the  body  undefiled.  Thou  seest  clearly  with  the 
eyes  of  the  spirit;  thou  hearest  keenly  with  the 
spirit's  ear.  Thine  heart  can  love  the  Lord  because 
it  hath  no  fleshy  taint,  being  wholly  of  the  spirit. 
So  it  is  that  thou  feelest  perfect  joy  and  rest,  for 
thou  hast  no  weariness  of  the  flesh. ' 

"  '  Then,  if  the  spirit  be  of  God,'  I  asked, 
'  whence  are  the  evil  spirits  ? '  '  Ask  me  not, '  said 
the  Spirit  of  Truth.  '  The  Spirit  of  Evil  and  the 
flesh  are  one.  At  the  Judgment  Day  all  shall  stand 
reunited  to  their  fleshly  bodies,  as  thou  wilt  shortly 
be ;  but  the  righteous  join  their  mortal  bodies  but 
for  the  hour  of  the  Judgment,  and,  when  they  enter 

235 


236  LAZARUS. 

into  eternal  glory  these  bodies  will  return  to  dust. 
But  the  wicked  are  reunited  to  their  bodies  for  ever- 
more. They  can  never  again  be  free  of  them.  And 
henceforth  they  have  but  the  nature  of  the  flesh. 
There  is  nothing  spiritual  left  to  them,  with  which 
to  lessen  the  heaviness  of  their  flesh.  All  that  the 
flesh  lusteth  for,  they  attain;  and  then,  when  the 
flesh  wearieth  of  that  which  it  attaineth,  their  lust  is 
turned  to  nausea;  and  one  of  hell's  chief  torments 
is  to  have  known  the  delights  of  being  in  the  spirit 
and  then  to  return  to  the  flesh. ' 

'  And  the  eternal  flames, '  I  asked,  '  are  they  real 
flames,  that  burn  and  scorch  the  body  ? ' — '  They 
are  the  inward  flames  of  eternal  desire  without  hope 
of  satisfaction.'  Then  on  my  head  he  placed  a  hel- 
met. '  This,'  he  said,  '  is  the  helmet  of  Salvation, 
which  I  place  on  thy  head,  lest  the  flames  should 
scorch  thee. ' 

'  Then  I  knew  that  I  was  saved  by  the  love  of 
Jesus,  and  that  I  should  descend  to  hell  only  to  see 
the  woe  I  had  escaped ;  and  I  fell  to  the  ground  and 
thanked  the  Lord  that,  of  His  mercy,  He  had  re- 
deemed me ;  and  I  vowed  a  vow  that,  when  I  should 
return  to  the  body,  I  would  give  all  that  I  possessed, 
and  follow  Jesus,  for  that  naught  else  availed  in  this 
world.  Then  I  took  his  hand,  and  he  led  me 
through  the  air,  and  my  heart  was  filled  with  a 
grievous  dread  of  that  which  I  should  see. 

"  '  Now  thou  shalt  know  what  is  real  sin,'  said  the 
Spirit  to  me.  '  Many  indeed  already  think  they 
know;  but  the  ways  of  the  Lord  are  different  from 
those  of  man,  and  many  who  thought  that  they  were 
righteous  groan  now  in  hell.' 


LAZARUS.  237 

"  And  now  we  no  longer  flew,  but  hovered,  as  if 
'twixt  heaven  and  earth ;  then  fell,  and  fell,  and  fell ; 
and,  while  we  fell,  methought  I  heard  the  noise  of 
rocks  that  crashed  and  crumbled,  and  the  great  light 
of  Hades  became  ever  dimmer,  and  there  came  a 
gloaming  as  of  eventide,  and  then  dusk.  Then  we 
came  to  a  dreary  field,  with  no  corn,  or  flowers,  or 
green  leaves  therein;  only  a  desolate,  grey  waste. 
And  figures  sat  about  in  groups  with  bent  heads 
supported  on  their  hands,  and  waiting,  yet  without 
hope ;  and  I  asked  the  Spirit :  '  Who  are  these  ? '  And 
the  Spirit  answered :  '  These  are  they  who  in  their 
lives  have  done  neither  right  nor  wrong;  who  have 
risen,  and  slept,  and  eaten,  and  drunk,  and  harmed 
no  man.  These  are  they  who,  having  talents,  bur- 
ied them,  and  have  come  to  the  Lord  with  empty 
hands ;  and,  as  they  lived  on  earth,  so  will  they  live 
through  all  eternity,  doing  nothing,  learning  noth- 
ing, reaping  nothing,  for  there  is  naught  in  this 
field  to  reap.' 

"  '  Are  they  not  gladdened  even  at  the  sight  of 
us  ? '  I  asked.  '  They  can  never  any  more  be  glad 
or  sorry,'  replied  the  Spirit.  '  They  laugh  not,  nei- 
ther do  they  weep.' 

'  Then  we  looked  across  the  field  to  where  was  a 
long  stone  building,  and  here  it  was  darker  still ;  and 
the  Spirit  unlocked  the  door,  and  all  was  silent,  and 
so  dark,  that  I  could  not  perceive  whether  there 
were  people  there  or  not ;  yet  presently  could  I  hear 
faint  sighing ;  and  soon  a  little  light  arose  from  the 
open  door;  then  I  saw  figures  groping  about  and 
clutching  each  other,  as  if  to  make  sure  that  others 
were  also  there ;  and  great  blocks  of  rock  lay  across 


238  LAZARUS. 

the  passage,  yet  so  dim  it  was  that  they  could  not 
see  whether  it  was  rock  or  forms  of  beasts. 

"  And,  as  I  wondered,  the  Spirit  said:  '  These 
are  they  who  have  been  silent  when  they  should 
have  spoken,  who  shrank  from  all  responsibility,  who 
helped  not  one  another,  who  witnessed  neither  for 
good  nor  evil,  who  accused  not  the  wicked  nor  held 
up  the  oppressed,  who  would  be  neither  hot  nor 
cold.  These  are  they  who  heed  not,  neither  give, 
saying,  "  Perchance  this  man  deserveth  it  not"; 
who  say  to  the  one  who  asketh  for  advice  and  com- 
fort: "  I  cannot  tell;  see  thou  to  that."  Of  these 
is  Pontius  Pilate,  and  hither  will  he  come ;  but  only 
for  a  season,  for  he  will  suffer  much  on  earth  at  the 
hands  of  his  own  country.  All  these  will  through 
eternity  continue  in  this  twilight.  There  will  be  no 
night  in  which  to  rest,  and  no  day  in  which  to  see 
what  is  around  them,  for  they  would  not  see  the 
straight  path,  they  would  not  guide  the  helpless, 
nor  oppose  the  evil;  so  now  they  know  not  what 
lieth  close,  whether  it  be  danger,  friend  or  foe,  wild 
beast  or  falling  rock ;  and  they  sit  motionless  for  fear 
of  what  they  know  not,  daring  not  to  go  forth  and 
face  what  is  before  them,  as  in  life  they  lacked  cour- 
age to  stand  by  the  righteous  and  the  oppressed. 
The  more  part  of  these  are  of  noble  blood,  who 
feared  to  bring  reproach  to  their  name  or  to  soil 
their  garments;  who  would  not  sit  at  meat  with 
sinners,  yet  who  did  shut  their  eyes  if  their  own 
familiar  friend  did  sin,  and  reproached  him  not. 
These  are  great  sinners,  but,  seeing  that  they  have 
not  judged  others,  nor  harmed  any,  but  by  silence, 
they  go  not  into  the  nethermost  hell,' 


LAZARUS.  239 

"  '  What  is  the  worst  sin  of  all  ? '  I  asked. — 
'  There  is  one  sin  we  may  not  speak  of,  that  even 
the  angels  wot  not  of;  and  we  know  not  whether 
any  man  hath  committed  it,  nor  where  the  hell  is. 
Of  that  knoweth  only  God.  But  one  of  the  great- 
est sinners  is  he  who  never  forgiveth ;  for  this  cause 
he  too  is  never  forgiven. ' 

'  Then  we  passed  through  a  long,  dark  building, 
like  to  a  sepulchre;  and,  as  we  passed  out,  I  felt  a 
cold  air  come  against  me,  as  if  the  north  wind  blew 
over  mountains  of  ice  and  snow;  and  figures  that 
were  unclothed  ran  hither  and  thither,  crying  out 
for  garments  and  for  fire ;  praying  that  even  scorch- 
ing fire  might  come  upon  them,  rather  than  this 
cold.  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  said :  '  These  are 
they  who  have  no  mercy ;  who  have  loved  neither 
father  nor  mother,  nor  husband,  nor  friend,  nor 
children ;  who  have  not  cared  if  others  suffered  or 
needed  help,  nor  listened  to  those  that  loved  them, 
nor  drawn  with  love  the  hearts  of  those  that  erred. 
Here  they  freeze  and  freeze,  yet  die  not,  and  no 
warmth  cometh  to  them  ever. ' 

"  Then  I  saw  that  most  of  these  were  women 
whose  hearts  were  cold ;  and,  as  we  passed,  one  ran 
after  me  and  seized  me,  and  she  said :  '  Give  me  of 
thy  warmth,  give  me  of  thy  warmth. ' 

"  But,  even  while  she  spoke,  she  fainted  from 
very  cold ;  and  I  said  to  the  Spirit :  '  Who  is  this 
woman,  for  methinks  I  have  seen  her  picture  when 
on  earth  ? '  And  he  answered :  '  That  is  Jezebel.' 

'  Then  we  hurried  on,  for  the  night  was  well-nigh 
spent,  and  the  Spirit  of  Truth  did  tell  me  that  I 
must  needs  make  speed,  for  that  the  next  day  the 


240  LAZARUS. 

Lord  would  need  me  for  the  glory  of  His  name; 
and,  in  deep  thankfulness,  I  thanked  God  that  I,  so 
great  a  sinner,  should  have  been  chosen  to  testify  to 
His  power.  And  as  I  hastened  along,  I  looked  from 
side  to  side,  lest,  haply,  any  that  I  loved  was  in  this 
hell ;  but  none  saw  I  that  I  had  loved,  though  many 
that  I  had  known  on  earth  and  had  thought  right- 
eous, and  most  were  Pharisees ;  and  many  that  I  had 
thought  to  have  seen  were  not  there. 

"  Then  I  said:  '  If  time  be  short,  show  me  the 
nethermost  hells,  that  I  may  know  of  the  greatest 
sins. ' 

"And  while  I  spoke,  the  ground  on  which  I  stood 
gave  way,  and  we  fell  still  lower ;  and  Truth  said : 
4  Look  around  and  see  the  confusion  of  this  hell,  for 
in  it  God  hath  put  no  check,  and  the  lack  of  it  hath 
made  them  as  if  mad.' 

"  And  I  saw  men  and  women  running  hither  and 
thither  in  haste,  yet  doing  nothing,  save  quarrelling 
and  tearing  each  other  to  pieces ;  yet  death  would 
not  release  them. 

"  '  Who  are  these  ? '  I  said.  '  These  be  schemers 
and  plotters  and  lawyers,'  said  the  Spirit  of  Truth. 
'  They  ran  to  and  fro  on  earth  and  laid  snares  for 
men;  and  they  still  do  so,  but  now  they  fall  into 
their  own  toils;  and  to  the  makers  of  laws  none 
hearken,  for  none  careth  for  the  law,  for  he  hath 
naught  to  gain  who  keepeth  it,  nor  hath  he  aught  to 
lose  who  transgresseth  it. ' 

And,  looking  on  their  faces,  I  saw  such  fury  as 
I  had  thought  that  no  man  could  wear,  for  they 
seemed  to  place  no  bounds  upon  their  rage  and 
envyings,  for  they  had  lost  all  power  of  self-restraint, 


LAZARUS.  241 

and  no  longer  could  direct  or  bind  their  thoughts. 
And  their  mouths  were  full  of  cursing;  such  words 
proceeding  from  their  mouths  that,  though  I  could 
not  understand  them,  I  felt  were  cries  of  hellish  hate 
and  foulest  loathing,  such  as  were  never  known  on 
earth.  Women  and  men  cursed  equally,  cursed 
each  other,  and  God  for  making  them,  and  Satan 
for  bringing  them  hither;  yet  their  revilings  brought 
them  no  relief,  their  foul  words  no  content,  and 
each  tore  hither  and  thither  like  one  possessed. 

'  Then  I  said,  '  Surely  there  are  none  worse  than 
these.' 

"  But  the  Spirit  took  me  past  this  pit  of  horror 
where  men  crept  in  and  out  like  worms  beneath  a 
corpse,  and  I  saw  another  hell,  and  at  one  end  of  it 
an  iron  gate  with  spikes.  And  in  this  hell  was  a 
great  concourse  of  men  and  women.  And  one  hav- 
ing the  appearance  of  an  angel,  and  bearing  a  lan- 
tern in  his  hand,  did  run  along  between  the  crowds 
of  men  and  women ;  and,  when  he  reached  the  gate, 
he  sprang  thereon  and  cried  :  '  Behold  the  gate  that 
leadeth  out  of  hell.'  And  all  followed  him,  but, 
when  they  strove  to  clamber  over  it — for  none  could 
open  it,  it  being  strongly  barred — the  spikes  did 
enter  their  flesh  and  tear  them.  Then  they  returned 
and  told  their  brethren,  to  entreat  their  help ;  but  it 
availed  nothing.  And  every  time  the  angel  ran 
anew,  so  ran  others ;  yet  all  failed  to  pass  beyond 
the  gate. 

"  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  said  to  me:  '  These  be 
they  who  have  corrupted  youth  and  childhood,  and 
the  pure-minded  among  men,  and  have  beguiled 
them,  so  that  they  have  strayed.  Just  as  in  their 

16 


242  LAZARUS. 

lives  they  led  believing  souls  to  the  gates  of  know- 
ledge, and  then  left  them  to  be  wounded  by  their 
sin,  so  now  they  themselves  are  led,  for  they  fancy 
ever  that  at  last  they  will  escape ;  but  the  spikes 
do  tear  them  and  will  in  no  wise  let  them  pass." 

"Then  I  looked  and  saw  that  many  of  these  were 
women ;  at  which,  marvelling,  I  said :  '  Do  women 
lead  the  innocent  to  their  undoing  ? '  And  the  Spirit 
answered :  '  Yea,  more  ofttimes  than  men.  It  never 
satisfieth  a  woman  till  she  hath  caught  a  young  man 
in  her  toils.  Then  she  leaveth  him ;  and  he,  taught 
by  her,  betrayeth  other  women;  but  for  one  man 
that  betrayeth  a  woman  there  are  twenty  women 
who  betray  men,  and  these  are  oft  the  mothers  of 
children.' 

"  And  I  marvelled  that  women  had  been  created. 
Then  I  looked  up,  and  on  a  high  mountain  peak  I 
saw  a  woman  of  exceeding  beauty  poised.  And  her 
eyes  were  turned  on  hell ;  and  I  asked  Truth  :  '  Who 
is  she  ? '  And  he  answered :  '  That  same  is  Eve, 
the  mother  of  all  mankind.  She  sitteth  on  the  high- 
est mountain  peak  of  hell  and  looketh  down  and 
seeth  the  grief  that  she  hath  brought  upon  the  world 
by  disobedience ;  and  she  weepeth  always  and  pray- 
eth  without  ceasing;  and  her  grief  of  repentance  is 
so  great  that  it  is  to  her  even  as  hell ;  and  it  shall 
be  counted  to  her  for  righteousness,  for  she  hath 
believed  and  repented  and  suffered  much,  and,  one 
day,  she  shall  be  forgiven ;  but  not  till  she  hath  seen 
the  victory  over  sin,  not  till  she  hath  seen  even  the 
Holy  One  in  hell.' 

"  Then  I  asked  the  Spirit :  '  Will  the  Christ  come 
to  this  hell  ?  Wherefore  ? '  And  the  Spirit  of 


LAZARUS.  243 

Truth  answered :  '  That  I  know  not,  but  methinks 
that  't  is  to  give  hope  to  them  who  were  not  on 
earth  at  His  appearance ;  that,  when  they  see  Him, 
they  may  believe  and  tremble,  and  repent. ' 

"  Then  I  saw  a  crowd  assembled,  and  high  places 
raised,  like  thrones,  and  men  in  long  robes  ascending 
them,  as  if  to  preach ;  and,  as  each  rose  in  the  high 
place,  another  came  and  tore  him  down  and  cried : 
'  Who  art  thou  to  call  thyself  a  priest  ? '  or,  '  Who 
art  thou  to  call  thyself  a  ruler  ?  I  will  be  priest,  I 
will  be  ruler.'  And,  so  soon  as  the  one  that  did 
pull  the  other  down  did  reach  the  throne,  he  too 
was  dragged  down  and  buffeted. 

"  And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  explained:  '  These  are 
they  whom  ambition  hath  consumed.  They  sought 
high  places  and  some  gained  them.  Then  these 
were  puffed  up  with  pride;  then  others  came  and 
took  their  place,  and  they  were  stricken  to  the  dust. ' 

"  Then  I  heard  peals  of  laughter,  the  like  to 
which  I  had  never  heard  before.  Methinks  Satan 
must  laugh  so.  And  I  looked  around  and  saw  no 
man  near,  save  them  who  rose  and  fell  in  the  high 
places ;  and  the  Spirit  of  Truth  spake  thus  concern- 
ing them  :  '  These  who  hear  this  laughter  are  they 
who  scoffed  and  derided  at  religion,  and  at  them 
who  tried  to  act  aright ;  and  they  who  made  afraid 
the  timid  hearts.  Now  they  hear  ever  this  laughter 
around  them,  and  seek  to  find  whence  it  proceedeth ; 
but  they  seek  in  vain ;  and  the  laugh  continueth  day 
and  night,  and  ever  it  seemeth  to  them  that  none 
standeth  near ;  till  at  last  they  go  well-nigh  mad  for 
very  horror,  yet  the  laughter  ceaseth  not,  and  will 
never  cease. ' 


244  LAZARUS. 

'  Then  we  came  to  almost  the  nethermost  hell  of 
all,  and  the  smell  was  foul,  as  of  a  putrefying,  stag- 
nant pool,  heavy  with  fever-laden  mists;  and  the 
rocks  grew  closer,  as  though  they  would  crush  out 
all  light.  '  Here  dwell  the  greatest  sinners  of  any 
thou  hast  seen,'  said  the  Spirit  of  Truth;  '  the  re- 
ligious hypocrites  and  the  priests  who  pervert  the 
people.  They  who  make  weak  women  confess  their 
sins,  that  they  may  listen  to  uncleanly  tales,  and 
hold  the  secrets  of  the  fearsome,  like  daggers,  over 
their  heads.  Of  these  Caiaphas  will  be — and  his  day 
is  close  at  hand.' 

"  And  I  looked  and  saw  that  the  place  was 
crowded  with  long-robed  priests  with  folded  hands, 
which  they  could  not  unlock;  the  women  came  and 
cursed  them,  and  their  sons  and  daughters  came 
and  cursed  them,  and  cried  out :  '  Who  then  was 
our  father  ? ' 

"  And,  while  I  looked  I  saw  that  they  were  struck 
with  blindness,  and  there  was  none  to  lead  them  as 
they  walked ;  thus  they  struck  their  feet  against  the 
stones  and  rocks,  and  ofttimes  fell  to  the  ground. 

"And  the  Spirit  of  Truth  said :  'In  life  these  men 
knew  the  truth  and  hid  it  from  the  people,  beguil- 
ing them  with  rumours  and  tradition ;  and  now  they 
themselves  are  struck  with  blindness,  and  ofttimes 
the  crowd  doth  rend  them,  and  they  cannot  help 
themselves.' 

"  Then  remembered  I  the  words  of  the  Nazarene: 
'  Woe  unto  ye,  ye  blind  guides,  which  say,  "  Who- 
soever shall  swear  by  the  Temple  it  is  nothing,  but 
whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  gold  of  the  Temple  he 
is  a  debtor  !  "  ' 


LAZARUS.  245 

"  Then  I  saw  that  this  was  the  greatest  punishment 
of  all,  to  be  blind  and  in  hell,  and  to  know  that  this 
blindness  is  forever  and  ever.  Yet  could  I  not  pity 
them  as  I  did  the  others,  for  I  thought  of  all  the 
rulers  and  high  priests  that  I  had  known,  and  could 
call  none  to  mind  that  spake  the  truth  or  taught  it ; 
and  I  considered  how  the  laws  of  Moses  had  been 
perverted  by  these  hypocrites,  and  that  their  sayings 
and  writings  would  remain  written  for  generations ; 
and  I  wondered  not  that  the  worst  punishment  of 
eternal  blindness  should  be  theirs. 

'  Then  we  came  to  a  field  which  was  fair  to  see, 
with  fruit  and  flowers  that  hung  in  bounteous  pro- 
fusion everywhere ;  and  I  said :  '  This  can  be  no 
hell  !  ' 

"  But  the  Spirit  shook  his  head  and  made  reply: 
'This  is  the  garden  of  hell,  where  the  women  wander 
for  one  hour  in  every  day.  This  blessing  is  accorded 
them  because  of  the  mother  of  the  Lord.  'T  is 
only  since  the  birth  of  the  Christ  on  earth  that  it  hath 
been  planted.  For  her  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of 
their  suffering  on  earth,  women  are  given  one  hour 
that  they  may  rest  them  from  the  torture  of  hell. 
But  not  all  women  are  allowed  to  enter  here.  'T  is 
like  unto  the  Garden  of  Eden,  in  which  the  Lord 
placed  Adam  and  Eve ;  for,  each  evening,  an  angel 
with  a  flaming  sword  doth  chase  them  from  the  gar- 
den, even  as  Eve  was  chased,  and  crieth  out  :  "De- 
part, depart,  ye  sinful." 

"  And  as  I  gazed,  I  saw  that  many  women  of  ex- 
ceeding fairness  wandered  in  the  cool  shade  of  the 
garden,  and  for  one  hour  their  eyes  did  shine  and 
their  smile  was  sweet.  And  even  while  I  looked, 


246  LAZARUS. 

the  angel  with  the  flaming  sword  which  turned  each 
way  appeared  and  cried,  as  Truth  had  advertised 
me :  '  Depart,  depart,  ye  sinful. '  Then,  with  deep 
wailing  and  moaning  and  tearing  of  hair,  the  crowd 
of  women  rushed  down  the  alleys,  looking  neither 
to  the  right  nor  to  the  left. 

"  And  I  asked  :  '  How  have  these  women  sinned  ? ' 
— '  These  are  unfaithful,  haters  of  children,  envi- 
ous, loving  luxury,  driving  men  to  sin  and  theft  by 
their  desire  for  sumptuous  living,  backbiters,  liars, 
bearers  of  false  witness  against  other  women,  tat- 
tlers; and  the  worst  of  all  are  they  who  marry  with- 
out love,  and  they  who  force  their  children  to  barter 
themselves  for  gold.' 

"  Next  we  came  to  a  freezing  lake,  which  stank 
of  brimstone  and  other  noisome  things.  And,  as  we 
looked,  behold  blue  lights  illumed  the  lake,  and  over 
it  was  ice.  And  a  vast  concourse  approached  from 
the  farther  side,  making  as  though  they  would  cross 
over;  but  midway,  the  ice  did  break  and  they  fell 
in ;  and  great  blue  flames  burst  forth  and  scorched 
them  as  they  plunged  into  the  lake. 

"  '  This,'  said  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  '  is  the  Lake 
of  Liars.  The  blue  lights  are  like  their  words  that 
have  misguided  men.  The  ice  is  like  their  promises 
that  they  have  broken ;  and  now  they  are  plunged 
into  the  scorching  flames  of  hell. ' 

"  Then  Truth  came  near  the  lake,  and  the  spirits 
cried:  'Approach  not,  come  not  near,  for  we  hate 
thee,  Truth.' 

"  And  I  looked  and  saw  that  the  lake  did  stretch 
farther  than  the  eye  could  reach,  and  in  it  were 
countless  souls,  with  the  appearance  of  wriggling 


LAZARUS.  247 

eels  and  serpents  fighting,  hustling,  holding  on  to 
each  other,  trying  to  lift  themselves  out  of  the  mire. 

"  And  I  said  to  the  Spirit  of  Truth:  '  Why  are 
these  so  many  ?  Surely  they  do  outnumber  all 
others  in  hell.'  And  the  Spirit  answered :  '  Because 
all  men  are  liars.  Some  lie  to  each  other,  and  some 
to  God,  and  some  to  themselves ;  but  all  are  liars, 
and  none  speak  the  truth.  Some  indeed  know  not 
what  truth  is.' 

"  Then  I  said:  '  Tell  me  what  others  dwell  in 
hell.'  And  Truth  replied:  'There  are  the  mischief- 
makers.  Their  hell  is  like  unto  the  liars',  save  that 
an  eternal  wind  doth  blow  on  their  ears ;  and  there 
are  the  traitors ;  they  too  are  in  a  bottomless  pit,  and 
are  divided  thus :  traitors  to  their  country,  traitors 
to  their  Lord,  traitors  to  their  friends,  traitors  to 
their  kinsmen.  These  last  are  worst  of  all ;  for,  if  a 
man  honour  not  his  own  flesh  and  blood,  whom 
then  will  he  honour  ?  Besides,  these  are  they  who 
weary  souls  by  much  reproving,  and  they  who 
judge.  They  who  judge  are  weighed  in  balances; 
day  and  night  are  they  weighed,  and  ever  are  they 
found  wanting;  and  the  weighing  ceaseth  never  and 
every  evil  thought  they  have  had  towards  others  is 
returned  into  their  own  bosom.' 

'  Then  I  inquired :  '  Wherefore  still  remaineth  so 
much  room  in  hell  ? '  And  Truth  answered :  '  For 
the  generations  to  come,  there  are  many  races  and 
many  generations  yet  to  come,  and  each  that  cometh 
after  will  be  judged  more  hardly,  because  it  hath 
known  the  truth  and  hath  suffered  lighter  persecu- 
tion. Last  of  all  will  come  the  judgment  of  them  of 
the  West,  who  make  profession  of  belief  in  Jesus ; 


248  LAZARUS. 

but  many  of  these  will  not  believe,  though  belief 
encompass  them  around,  and  though  all  the  works 
of  Christ  lay  open  before  them.'  Then  the  Spirit 
added :  '  This  is  thy  last  night  in  Hades,  and  we  must 
return,  for  thou  must  pray  ere  thou  rejoin  thy  body.' 

"  Then  meekly  I  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  we 
rose  once  more  straight  through  the  air,  like  arrows 
shot  upward  from  a  bow ;  and  while  we  rose  thus 
swiftly,  yet  could  we  hear  the  wailing  and  the 
gnashing  of  teeth  and  the  howling  of  those  be- 
neath ;  and  I  said :  '  I  would  the  Christ  saw  not 
such  sights.'  But  he  answered:  '  He  will  spare 
Himself  no  suffering,  but  drink  the  cup  of  bitter- 
ness to  the  dregs.' 

"  And  after  that  the  Spirit  of  Truth  bade  me  de- 
part ;  and  at  his  words  I  wept,  for  a  great  fear  came 
upon  me ;  I  feared  to  live  again  after  that  which  I 
had  seen.  I  clung  to  the  Spirit  of  Truth  and  I 
said :  'Leave  me  not  alone,  I  pray  thee,  in  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death.'  And  it  seemed  to  me, 
Mary,  that  thy  voice  sang  to  me  the  words  that 
thou  didst  sing  when  I  was  at  the  point  of  death : 
'  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art 
with  me ;  Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff  do  comfort  me. ' 
And  a  great  peace  came  over  me  and  I  fell  asleep. 

"  When  I  awoke  I  was  once  more  outside  the  road 
of  Jericho  near  to  Bethany  beneath  the  olive  groves; 
and  I  saw  the  face  of  Jesus  and  the  disciples,  and  I 
saw  thee  and  Martha  and  the  Jews  who  came  to  wail 
and  mourn.  And  at  the  sight  of  Jesus'  face  my 
strength  returned,  and  I  said  inwardly:  '  If  Thou 
canst  die  for  me,  then  I  can  live  for  Thee. ' 


LAZARUS.  249 

"  And  I  saw  that  Jesus  wept  for  the  love  He  bore 
me  and  the  love  He  bore  Jerusalem,  and  for  its  un- 
belief ;  and  I  knew  that  He  would  I  had  not  died, 
and  that,  having  died,  I  should  not  live  again  to  die 
a  second  death.  Yet  would  I  live  and  die  daily,  if 
I  could  serve  the  Lord  forever ;  for  I  know  that,  be- 
yond here  and  Hades,  there  are  things  reserved  for 
them  which  love  the  Lord  that  pass  man's  under- 
standing. Then  I  prayed  as  I  had  never  prayed 
before,  for  I  knew  for  a  very  certainty  that  Jesus 
was'  the  Christ,  and  that  men  with  their  vain  imagi- 
nations are  but  as  worms  before  the  Lord,  and  are 
without  understanding.  At  last,  when  night  was 
past,  I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  calling  me,  as  it 
were,  across  great  waters;  and  my  spirit  hastened 
to  the  voice  of  God,  and  I  stood  inside  the  sepul- 
chre ye  had  prepared  for  me ;  and  I  saw  a  body  ly- 
ing there,  and  I  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  that 
which  was  before  me,  and  of  the  power  of  the  flesh ; 
and  I  would  indeed  that  it  were  not  so  that  I  must 
live  again.  Yet  I  longed  to  see  the  face  of  the  Christ 
once  more,  and  to  show  forth  His  glory  to  all  men, 
for  I  thought  that  then,  indeed,  all  could  not  but 
believe.  So  I  laid  me  down  once  more  on  the  body 
that  had  pained  me  so  in  life,  and  I  cried,  '  Not  my 
will,  but  Thine,  be  done  on  earth,  O  Lord !  '  Then 
I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Christ — that  sounded  like 
silver  trumpets  on  the  mountain  tops  mingling  with 
summer  fountains — cry  out :  '  Lazarus,  come  forth ! ' 
And  at  those  words  of  Jesus  I  stood  once  more  on 
my  feet.  Yet  still  the  people  believed  not  in 
Him." 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

WHEN  Lazarus  ceased  speaking,  morning, 
striking  right  and  left  with  her  flaming 
wand  of  truth,  lighting  up  each  secret  corner  of  the 
world,  burst  in  through  the  open  casement,  and 
forced  herself  in  ardent  streams  of  light  beneath  the 
doors  and  through  every  crevice  of  the  house  in 
Bethany. 

She  lit  up  faces  weary  with  their  vigil,  worn  with 
the  excitement  of  this  wondrous  narrative  and  their 
eagerness  to  grasp  the  full  purpose  of  this  revelation. 

When  the  Magdalene  had  finished  writing,  she  fell 
upon  her  knees  in  prayer.  None  knew  what  she 
prayed  for,  whether  in  appeal,  or  thankfulness,  but 
Lazarus  looking  at  her,  his  gaze  softened  and  a 
great  resolve  showed  in  his  eyes. 

Then,  one  by  one,  they  rose  from  their  posture 
on  the  ground,  to  go  and  bathe  and  set  about  the 
duties  of  the  day.  But  Martha  was  less  restless  and 
solicitous. 

Lazarus's  tale  had  roused  her  interest ;  nay,  more, 
had  filled  her  with  a  vague  dread  and  wondering 
that  one  so  great  as  Jesus  could  condescend  to  sup 
with  them  that  night;  and,  in  a  moment,  as  one 
sees  things  in  a  flash,  it  came  to  her  how  futile  must 
every  effort  be  to  make  things  worthy  of  such  a 
guest.  Then,  while  her  sister  marvelled  at  her  quiet 

250 


LAZARUS.  251 

spirit,  she  turned  to  the  Magdalene  and  said  : 
"  Thou  wilt  go  with  us,  Mary,  to  serve  the  Lord  at 
supper." 

And  the  despised  Magdalene  flushed  with  pleas- 
ure, forMartha's  courtesies  had  the  attribute  of  rarity. 

But,  although  the  disciples  had  striven  to  preserve 
the  secret  of  Jesus'  return  to  Bethany,  yet,  either 
through  servants  or  by  the  treachery  of  Judas,  it 
had  been  noised  about  that,  not  only  the  Nazarene, 
but  also  the  risen  Lazarus  was  to  be  at  the  feast ; 
and  all  that  day  the  people  thronged  outside  the 
door  of  the  leper,  fearing  to  enter  on  account  of  the 
strict  Jewish  law,  yet  anxious  to  see  him  when  he 
should  leave  his  house.  Great  trouble  rilled  the 
heart  of  the  four  at  Bethany,  for,  in  the  midst  of 
their  joy  at  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  Lord  again, 
there  rose  the  dread  of  what  might  follow.  Fear 
for  Lazarus  was  added  now  to  their  grief  and  terror 
for  the  Messiah,  for  he  had  become  to  the  people 
the  testimony  of  the  Christ's  actuality  and  power. 

Beneath  the  double  sway  of  the  high  priests  and 
the  Romans,  the  Jewish  people  were  beginning  to 
think  more  for  themselves  and  to  act  with  greater 
independence.  They  would  inquire  into  this  matter 
and  learn  for  themselves  the  truth. 

So  it  came  about  that,  when  Lazarus  and  the 
three  women,  followed  by  the  servants  bearing  the 
dishes  they  had  made  ready  for  the  Lord,  sallied 
forth  from  the  gates,  they  found  a  crowd  assembled 
who,  with  that  daring  which  even  now  characterises 
an  Eastern  throng,  followed  them  along  the  road, 
calling  out  to  them,  asking  questions,  gabbling, 
quarrelling,  gesticulating. 


2$2  LAZARUS. 

"Art  thou  indeed  Lazarus  ?  "  cried  they.  "  Wert 
really  dead  ?  " 

And  with  these  and  like  inquiries  were  mingled 
ribaldry  and  jeers ;  for  when  the  common  people 
congregate,  there  are  always  those  who  think  to 
show  their  humour  with  obscene  and  scoffing  oaths. 

"  Wast  so  fond  of  earth  thou  couldst  not  stay 
away  ? ' ' 

Then,  when  the  crowd  continued  to  vociferate 
and  clamour,  Lazarus  quickly  mounted  a  little  hill- 
ock on  the  roadside,  and,  facing  them,  cried  out  in 
the  deep  voice  that  had  been  wont  to  stir  men  in  the 
Sanhedrim:  "  Men  of  Israel,  hear  ye  me;  if  I  tell 
ye  the  truth  will  ye  believe  me  ?  " 

Cries  rose  from  the  multitude:  "  We  will  believe, 
we  will  believe." 

"  Nay,  I  ask  yet  more;  will  ye  believe  that  Jesus 
is  the  Christ  ?  for  I  am  here  to-day  to  testify  of 
Him." 

Cries  rose  again :  "  Art  thou  indeed  Lazarus  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  convince  ye  ?  "  answered  Lazarus  in 
tones  despondent  at  his  inability  to  prove  his  per- 
sonality, if  his  simple  presence  should  not  suffice. 

'  Ye  have  known  me  from  my  childhood  upwards. 
Many  are  here  to-day  with  whom  I  went  to  school. 
Behold  yonder  the  sons  of  Zebedee ;  they  will  bear 
witness  that  I  am  the  same  Lazarus.  Simon  the 
Leper,  to  whom  I  now  go,  is  my  father,  and  these 
two  noble  ladies  are  my  sisters.  Thou  knowest 
them  well,  for  they  have  tended  many  of  the  sick 
and  poor  in  Bethany.  What  more  can  I  tell  ye  to 
make  ye  believe  that  I  am  the  Lazarus  ye  have 
known  ?  Behold  my  hands  and  the  features  of  my 


LAZARUS.  253 

countenance.  If  I  be  not  that  same  Lazarus,  where 
then  is  he  ?  " 

Then  one,  a  lawyer,  came  up  to  him. 

"  Noble  ruler,"  he  began,  "  I  will  speak  for  this 
multitude.  We  believe  verily  that  thou  art  Lazarus, 
but  we  would  hear  whether  thou  wert  really  dead, 
and  if  so  be,  how  thou  didst  return  to  life  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  persuade  ye,  my  brethren  ?  "  replied 
Lazarus,  tears  rising  to  his  eyes  in  the  intensity  of 
his  emotion.  "  I  was  indeed  dead.  Ask  the  phy- 
sician Kishish;  ask  them  who  embalmed  me,  and 
them  who  bore  me  to  the  tomb.  In  truth,  I  was 
dead,  and  if  I  be  alive  again,  't  is  by  the  power  of 
Jesus  the  Christ,  whom  ye  call  the  Nazarene." 

Some  seemed  willing  to  believe,  others  shrugged 
their  shoulders,  but  none  molested  Lazarus  or  those 
with  him  any  more.  But  some  amongst  the  crowd 
cried  out:  "  He  is  bewitched,  or  he  dreameth,  and 
knoweth  not  what  he  saith.  Maybe  he  was  in  a 
trance." 

Their  supper  in  the  house  of  Simon  was  a  happy 
meeting.  Though  all  were  troubled  by  forebodings 
of  sad  events  to  come,  there  was  in  each  a  spirit  of 
patience  and  resignation  that  enabled  them  to  enjoy 
the  present. 

Although  supper  had  been  laid  for  all  the  family 
of  Simon,  only  one  couch  had  been  provided,  all 
having  intended  to  wait  on  Jesus ;  but,  with  gracious 
condescension,  as  though  what  Lazarus  had  gone 
through  gave  him  a  higher  claim  to  His  friendship, 
Jesus  bade  him  be  seated  at  the  same  table.  With 
what  zeal  and  tenderness  those  loving  women  waited 
on  the  two  they  loved  best  in  the  world,  though 


254  LAZARUS. 

each  with  a  widely  different  love;  but  now  even 
their  love  for  Lazarus  was  tinged  with  the  divine 
reverence  they  had  for  the  Nazarene. 

Presently,  with  a  burst  of  that  living  tenderness 
which  vainly  strove  to  give  full  expression  to  itself, 
the  Magdalene  took  a  vessel  of  ointment  of  spike- 
nard of  the  most  costly  kind,  that  she  had  brought 
with  her,  and  poured  it  over  the  Messiah's  feet.  To 
the  careful  Jew,  such  an  offering  was  one  for  great 
occasions  only,  but  to  Mary  it  seemed  but  a  poor 
expression  of  her  devotion.  As  the  rich  fragrance 
was  wafted  on  the  air,  filling  the  chamber  with  vague 
memories  of  hedgerows  and  Grecian  gardens  of  roses, 
the  Nazarene's  eyes  fell  with  love  and  gratitude  on 
the  kneeling  figure  at  His  feet.  He  saw,  beyond 
the  impulsive  gift,  the  warmth  of  love  and  reverence 
that  had  dictated  it.  The  best  of  everything  must 
be  her  Lord's.  Yet  more,  He  saw  a  thought  dis- 
tinct. It  might  be  that  the  loving  Mary  feared  that 
she  would  not  be  near  Him  when  He  died,  to  fulfil 
the  last  earthly  office,  the  embalming  of  His  body. 
It  might  be  that  cruel  soldiers  would  tear  away  the 
body  of  one  she  loved  so  much.  Therefore,  to-night, 
He  should  be  anointed  with  the  rarest  perfumes  of 
Judaea.  With  these  thoughts  in  her  mind,  her  tears 
fell  in  drops  like  rain  on  the  holy  feet ;  and,  as  they 
fell,  she  wiped  them  with  her  hair,  lest  they  should 
defile  the  members  she  so  reverently  handled. 

At  the  feet  of  the  Lord ;  that  had  been  ever  the 
favourite  posture  of  the  Magdalene!  Would  she 
ever  again  be  privileged  to  take  it  ?  While  the  dis- 
ciples whispered  among  themselves  and  listened  to 
the  Nazarene,  her  thoughts  flew  back  with  the  agony 


LAZARUS.  255 

of  remorse — the  remembrance  of  happy  intervals  in 
the  midst  of  pains,  than  which  the  poet  tells  us  there 
is  no  greater  grief — to  those  peaceful  days  before 
Lazarus  had  died.  Oh  that  it  could  have  remained 
thus!  But  the  merciless  generation  was  pressing 
them  on  to  unsought  destinies.  They  were  like 
people  forced  into  pathways  they  wished  not  to 
pursue,  with  separation,  persecution,  insult,  death 
before  them  ;  and  to  support  them  through  all  these, 
having  only  that  staff  of  faith,  and  a  vague  hope, 
whose  brightness  would  be  dimmed  when  the  One 
who  had  implanted  it  should  have  vanished  from 
their  sight. 

Then  Judas  Iscariot,  who  was  a  half-brother  of 
Lazarus,  and  had  always  hated  his  father's  children 
and  been  jealous  of  the  Lord's  intimacy  with  them, 
glad  of  an  opportunity  of  wounding  them  or  of  hold- 
ing them  up  to  blame  in  the  eyes  of  Jesus,  exclaimed : 
'  What  waste  is  here!  Why  was  not  this  oint- 
ment sold  for  three  hundred  pence  and  given  to  the 
poor  ? " 

Before  the  Lord  could  answer,  Martha  cried  hotly, 
mindful  of  what  Lazarus  had  disclosed  to  them: 
"  Thou  traitor,  much  thou  carest  for  the  poor. 
Wouldst  put  it  in  the  bag  with  thy  thirty  pieces  of 
silver?" 

Iscariot's  face  blanched  to  the  grey  whiteness  of 
an  iceberg  from  which  the  sun  had  fled. 

Was  then  his  secret  known  ?  His  eyes  sought 
those  of  Jesus  shiftingly ;  while  Lazarus  raised  his 
hand  in  disapproval  of  Martha's  hasty  speech.  But 
the  Messiah's  gentle  voice  made  answer  pleadingly: 
"  Let  her  alone ;  against  the  day  of  My  burying  hath 


256  LAZARUS. 

she  kept  this.  For  the  poor  ye  have  always  with 
you;  but  Me  ye  have  not  always." 

And  when  He  had  so  spoken,  Mary  could  restrain 
her  tears  no  longer,  and  cried  out:  "  My  Lord,  my 
Lord,  I  beseech  Thee,  leave  us  not." 

Then,  leaning  towards  her  in  infinite  pity  for  the 
great  sorrow  in  her  heart,  the  Saviour  murmured: 
"  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled." 

And  while  He  spoke,  there  were  heard  outside 
sounds  of  voices  shouting,  "  Hosanna!  Hosanna!  " 

A  few  moments  later,  the  whole  house  was  crowded 
with  a  glorifying  multitude,  who  would  not  be  re- 
strained from  seeing  the  great  sight  of  the  Son  of 
God  on  earth,  sitting  in  the  house  of  Simon  the 
Leper,  and,  by  His  side,  Lazarus,  who  had  been 
raised  from  the  dead. 

And,  in  the  midst  of  the  clamour  and  confusion, 
Judas  Iscariot  made  his  way  out  to  warn  the  Phari- 
sees that  his  secret  was  known,  and  that  they  must 
needs  make  haste  if  they  would  lay  hands  on  the 
Nazarene. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

ONCE  more  Jerusalem  was  the  scene  of  wild  ex- 
citement, and  once  more  Caiaphas  and  his 
colleagues  were  seized  with  the  dread  of  whether, 
after  all,  power  was  not  going  to  be  wrenched  from 
them.  If,  in  truth,  this  was  the  Son  of  God,  if  really 
Lazarus  had  died  and  been  restored  to  life,  what  was 
to  prevent  more  miracles,  and  might  it  not  be  that 
Caiaphas  would  ultimately  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the 
followers  of  the  Nazarene  ?  These  were  the  High 
Priest's  inward  thoughts;  but,  outwardly,  he  and  his 
supporters  admitted  only  that,  if  such  trickery  as 
the  removal  of  the  body  of  Lazarus  could  take  place, 
there  was  no  knowing  what  dupes  might  yet  be 
made.  At  a  private  meeting  of  the  heads  of  the 
Synagogue  at  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  a  meeting  from 
which  all  who  did  not  share  the  High  Priest's  views 
had  been  excluded,  they  had  come  to  the  unanimous 
conclusion  that  the  execution  of  the  Nazarene, 
unless  accompanied  by  that  of  Lazarus,  would  be 
useless  bloodshed. 

For  Lazarus  will  be,  to  all  intents,  a  second 
Galilean,"  said  one,  "  and  who  knoweth  but  that, 
having  been  a  ruler  and  one  learned  in  the  law  of 
Moses,  he  will  still  more  pervert  the  people  by  his 
wisdom,  so  that,  perchance,  even  the  rich  will  follow 
him  ?  For  this  Nazarene  hath  that  good  in  Him 

'7  257 


2$8  LAZARUS. 

that  He  appealeth  but  to  the  sinners  and  the  poor, 
so  that  His  following  is  not  a  powerful  one.  But, 
in  that  He  hath  raised  this  Lazarus,  it  seemeth  to 
me  that  the  danger  doth  spread  higher." 

"  Yet  I  know  not  how  we  shall  take  Him,"  said 
another;  "  for  the  people  look  upon  Him  as  a  God, 
and  He  hath  ever  people  around  Him." 

"  'T  will  be  difficult,  but  not  impossible,"  said 
Caiaphas  with  his  cruel,  self-sufficient  laugh.  Had 
I  but  known  last  night  that  both  sat  in  the  house 
of  Simon,  he  that  is  the  leper,  I  would  have 
caught  the  two  birds  with  one  net;  but  that  dog, 
Iscariot,  did  not  dare  come  till  dark,  and,  when  I 
sent  to  take  them,  the  house  and  wayside  were 
thronged  with  the  multitude  of  perverted  fools,  and 
the  soldiers  feared  that  to  capture  them  might  cause 
disturbance ;  for  naught  desire  we  less  than  to  fan 
this  fanaticism  into  a  civil  war.  This  also  know  the 
Romans.  Yet  sometimes  methinks  that  Pilate  doth, 
for  some  purpose,  assist  the  Nazarene  to  escape,  that 
so  a  sedition  may  arise  and  the  Romans  may  take 
away  our  country." 

An  indignant  murmur  ran  through  the  little  gath- 
ering of  Pharisees. 

"  And  I  hear  further  from  Rome,"  the  High 
Priest  continued  pompously,  anxious  to  impress  his 
audience  with  his  superior  information  and  his  inti- 
macy with  Tiberius,  "  that  they  are  discussing  before 
the  Senate  whether  to  add  this  Nazarene  to  their 
twelve  gods  and  thus  have  thirteen." 

A  derisive  laugh  rose  from  the  assembled  council ; 
laughter  that  might  have  been  aimed  either  at  the 
Nazarene's  claim  to  be  regarded  as  a  God,  or  at  the 


LAZARUS.  259 

facile  religion  of  the  Romans,  who  could  thus  lightly 
add  to  their  list  of  deities. 

"  Yet  methinks,"  went  on  another,  "  that  there 
must  be  sedition  in  the  air ;  else  why  hath  the  Naza- 
rene  chosen  this  time  of  the  Passover,  when  Jerusa- 
lem is  full  of  all  nations,  Greeks  and  Gentiles,  to 
come  into  the  city  and  incite  the  people  ?  " 

"  Thinkest  thou  that  He  will  come  ?  "  asked  the 
High  Priest  doubtfully.  ' '  Iscariot  brought  me  word 
yesterday  that  the  plot  was  known ;  yea,  more,  that 
Martha,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  had  reviled  him  about 
the  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  How  thinkest  thou  they 
know  ?  For  even  Pilate  knew  not  of  this  thing." 

'  They  have  amongst  themselves,  I  am  told,"  said 
one,  "  some  spirit  of  divination  or  sooth-saying, 
such  as  was  used  by  Saul;  for  they  all  seem  to 
know  whatsoever  every  man  doth  think,  and  have 
Satan  to  assist  them."  Then,  to  himself,  he  mut- 
tered, "  Nay,  but  He  will  not  come,  He  dare  not 
come  to  Jerusalem." 

But,  even  while  he  spoke,  there  rose  loud  cries  on 
the  clear,  cold  air;  shrieks  that  seemed  to  rend  the 
skies  and  pierce  to  the  very  heart  of  Caiaphas. 

"  Hosanna!  Hosanna!  Blessed  is  the  King  of 
Israel,  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

Like  men  possessed,  drawn  by  some  magnetic 
power  they  were  unable  to  resist,  the  little  gathering 
of  Pharisees  and  scribes  moved  to  the  open  windows 
and  to  the  balconies  and  terraces.  But  Caiaphas 
seemed  to  shrink  up  in  his  seat,  with  lowered,  scowl- 
ing brow  and  clenched  fists,  which  he  beat  every 
now  and  then  against  the  couch  with  fury ;  and  his 
countenance  was  filled  with  menace ;  while  the  cry, 


260  LAZARUS. 

"  King  of  Israel!  King  of  Israel!"  arose  in  one 
grand  sound  heavy  with  united  voices. 

"  What  meaneth  this  strange  cry  ?  "  he  asked, 
alarmed,  and  he  turned  his  head  towards  the  group 
of  excited  Pharisees. 

"  We  can  see  naught  yet,"  one  made  answer  hur- 
riedly; "  only  the  people,  who  do  cry  furiously  and 
throw  branches  and  palms  upon  the  ground." 

Like  one  about  to  be  seized  with  a  fit,  or  one 
towards  whom  a  stroke  of  paralysis  is  creeping 
stealthily,  Caiaphas  sat  holding  on  to  his  seat,  trying 
to  assume  indifference ;  but,  all  the  while,  every  nerve 
and  muscle  was  strained  to  hear  whether  that  cry 
would  come  again :  "  King  of  Israel !  King  of  Israel !  " 

Presently,  unable  to  contain  himself,  he  bawled : 
"  Can  ye  not  speak,  ye  fools  ?  How  cometh  He  ?  " 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  while  some  strained 
their  necks  to  see  farther  up  the  road.  Then  one 
turned  to  Caiaphas  again:  "  He  cometh,  the  Naza- 
rene,  and  He  rideth  on  an  ass,  yea,  a  small  ass;  it 
seemeth  but  a  colt." 

For  a  moment,  blood  seemed  to  surge  into  the 
very  eyes  of  Caiaphas.  He  felt  faint  and  dizzy ;  for 
one  instant  the  roof  of  his  house  seemed  torn  away ; 
for  one  instant,  in  the  back  chambers  of  his  dark- 
ened brain  and  soul,  there  flashed  the  image  of  a 
cross;  for  one  instant,  Caiaphas,  the  proud  High 
Priest,  believed,  and  almost  swooned  from  the  be- 
lieving. 

"  Thou  liest,"  he  said  at  last,  in  a  voice  thick  and 
charged  with  the  hoarseness  caused  by  his  emotions. 

In  surprise,  the  group  looked  back.  What  then 
had  come  to  Caiaphas  ? 


LAZARUS.  26l 

One  young  scribe  even  ran  to  him.  "  Art  ill, 
most  noble  Caiaphas  ?  Shall  I  bring  thee  water  ?  " 

"  Nay,  nay,  leave  me,  thou  fool,"  he  said  impa- 
tiently ;  and  then,  while  the  young  man  drew  back 
terrified,  he  burst  into  a  peal  of  horrible  laughter, 
and  all  looked  anxiously  one  at  the  other  and  whis- 
pered: "  Methinks  that  Caiaphas  hath  gone  mad 
from  hatred  of  the  Nazarene. ' ' 

Then  they  returned  to  watch  the  gathering,  press- 
ing concourse,  all  crying,  screaming,  singing,  shout- 
ing in  honour  of  the  Messiah. 

'T  was  never  so  seen  in  Jerusalem,"  they  mur- 
mured. 

Then  Caiaphas  rose  and  went  to  the  door  and 
called  his  soldiers,  to  bid  them  close  the  windows 
and  keep  out  the  distracting  noise.  But  in  vain; 
they,  too,  had  fled,  and  left  the  ante-chamber  empty. 
But  not  for  long.  With  loud-sounding,  hasty  step, 
the  Procurator  entered,  a  scornful  smile  upon  his 
lips,  a  strange  exultation  in  his  eyes.  Without  a 
word,  he  seized  the  High  Priest  by  the  arm,  and 
with  sheer  force,  dragged  him  to  the  balcony. 

"  Dost  remember  thine  own  words  ?  "  he  asked 
rapidly  in  a  voice  such  as  Caiaphas  before  had  never 
heard.  '  Thou  dost  say  it  is  written  in  Zechariah : 
'  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion ;  shout,  O 
daughter  of  Jerusalem :  behold,  thy  King  cometh 
unto  thee :  he  is  just,  and  having  salvation ;  lowly, 
and  riding  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass.'  ' 

The  rest  kept  silence  while  he  spoke.  Meantime 
Caiaphas  was  searching  in  the  dark  corners  of  his  re- 
tentive brain  for  some  subtle  answer  to  this  con- 
founding verse ;  while  they  around  who  were  versed 


262  LAZARUS. 

in  the  prophets  and  the  law  threw  back  their 
memories  till  they  remembered  where  indeed  those 
words  were  written,  and  the  circumstance  that  had 
inspired  the  prophet. 

And  while  they  all  stood  silent,  the  Nazarene 
passed  by  on  His  lowly  steed,  the  embodiment  of 
appealing  meekness  and  submission,  yet  with  a 
majesty  that  seemed  to  enfold  in  one  the  Past,  the 
Present,  and  Eternity;  and,  as  He  passed,  some 
strange  thrill  hushed  the  crowd,  which  prostrated 
itself  to  the  earth  in  silent  ecstasy  of  adoration. 
And,  almost  as  if  forced  to  the  ground  by  some  un- 
seen compelling  power,  Pilate  and  the  little  group 
of  Pharisees  fell  down  upon  their  knees.  Caiaphas 
alone  remained  erect,  with  lowering  glance  and 
folded  hands,  looking  over  the  heads  of  that  infatu- 
ated little  gathering  of  great  men,  following  with 
steely  eyes,  that  shone  with  hellish  light,  the  image 
of  the  Messiah,  who  passed  by  slowly,  the  colt's 
hoofs  pattering  on  the  cobble  stones  with  short, 
sharp  thuds. 

His  last  chance  had  come  and  gone.  The  memory 
of  his  own  prophecy  had  sought  to  probe  his  heart, 
to  wrench  away  the  thick  coating  of  pride  and  un- 
belief in  which  it  was  enveloped.  The  Messiah  had 
passed  by,  and  Caiaphas  had  rejected  Him ;  and 
Satan,  scared  from  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  had  yet 
found  shelter  in  one  soul. 

Still  the  populace  cried  out:  "  Hosanna!  Ho- 
sanna!  Blessed  is  the  King  of  Israel." 

And  the  Pharisees  who  had  met  that  morning  to 
sign  the  condemnation  of  the  Nazarene  and  issue  an 
order  for  Lazarus's  capture,  rose  from  their  knees 


LAZARUS.  263 

and  shook  their  heads,  and  one  to  the  other  said: 
' '  Perceive  ye  how  we  prevail  nothing  ?  Behold  the 
world  is  gone  after  Him." 

Then,  headed  by  Pontius  Pilate,  they  filed  out 
one  by  one,  leaving  Caiaphas  still  standing  at  the 
window,  looking  after  the  people  that  had  deserted 
him,  and  turning  over  within  his  heart  schemes  for 
the  achievement  of  his  revenge  ;  for  vengeance 
would  be  to  him  henceforth  the  sole  pursuit  of  his 
earthly  life,  and  the  basis  of  his  life  eternal.  The 
sweetness  of  life  to  him  now  would  be  when  the 
cry  "Hosanna!"  should  be  changed  to  that  of 
Crucify!" 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

ONCE  more  the  multitude  pressed  round  the 
Nazarene,  keener  than  ever  to  hear  the  words 
of  one  who  had  performed  the  great  miracle  they 
had  all  been  longing  for.  All  the  circumstances  too 
— the  fact  that  the  body  of  Lazarus  had  lain  four 
days  in  the  grave,  and  the  publicity  of  his  resurrec- 
tion, had  impressed  their  minds  with  an  assurance  in 
the  Messiah's  power  that  seemed  unshakable.  But 
to  those  who  believed,  each  word  was  fraught  with 
the  approaching  grief  of  separation ;  to  His  disciples 
and  a  few  besides,  each  phrase  that  fell  from  Him 
thus  held  for  them  an  added  tenderness  and  pathos 
and  would  be  treasured  with  the  greater  care.  In  a 
short  time  they  would  have  to  live  their  lives  with- 
out the  sweet  presence  that  had  sustained  and  guided 
them.  His  words  would  be  their  only  guide  through 
this  world  and,  through  death,  to  life  eternal.  There 
were  tiny  children,  too,  who  were  growing  up,  whom 
Jesus  loved.  The  message  would  have  to  be  handed 
on  to  them  in  all  its  purity  and  all  its  hope. 

The  crowd  was  waiting.  The  Nazarene  stood 
ready  to  deliver  once  more  the  message  from  the 
Father;  never  wearying  of  His  mission,  ever  appeal- 
ing to  them  to  lay  hold  of  true  happiness  in  this 
world  and  their  salvation  in  the  next.  Then  two 
disciples  advanced  with  reverence,  and,  plucking  at 

264 


LAZARUS.  265 

His  sleeve,  they  murmured  something  in  His  ear. 
And  when  the  Lord  turned  round,  a  group  of  Greeks 
was  seen  approaching. 

'  They   would   have   speech    with    Thee,"    said 
Philip. 

He  greeted  them,  as  He  did  every  one,  with 
divine  courtesy  and  love,  yet  a  spasm  of  pain  passed 
for  a  moment  across  His  brow,  as  He  answered  His 
disciple:  "  The  hour  is  come  that  the  Son  of  God 
shall  be  glorified  ?  " 

"  What  meaneth  He  ?"  asketh  one  of  another; 
and  Mary,  anxious  at  the  look  of  pain  that  con- 
tracted the  Saviour's  brow,  bent  close  to  Lazarus, 
and,  in  terror-stricken  accents,  gasped:  "  Surely 
they  come  to  take  the  Lord  ?  " 

But  Lazarus  reassured  her.  "  Be  not  troubled, 
sister,"  he  replied  assuringly,  "  they  are  but  Greeks, 
who  seek  to  learn  the  truth." 

"  God  be  praised,"  said  Mary;  "  but  why,  then, 
doth  the  Master  say:  '  The  hour  is  come  '  ?  " 

Then,  with  sadness  inexpressible,  Lazarus  an- 
swered :  "  The  hour  is  indeed  near  at  hand,  and  the 
coming  of  these  Greeks  doth  signify  its  nearness ; 
for  all  nations  shall  bow  down  and  worship  Him 
together.  As  Caiaphas  hath  prophesied,  so  shall  it 
be;  God  shall  gather  together  all  the  children  of 
God  into  one  place,  and  all  divisions  shall  be  ended. 
The  middle  wall  of  partition  shall  be  broken  down, 
and  all  nations  linked  together  in  one  common  faith. 
Surely  the  coming  of  these  Greeks  is  the  first  sign 
that  the  death  of  the  Master  is  at  hand." 

Great  tears  welled  to  Mary's  eyes.  She  under- 
stood now  the  grief  that  rested  like  a  shadow  on 


266  LAZARUS. 

His  face ;  and,  while  she  listened  to  His  words,  that 
one  after  another  struck  her  heart  with  the  certain 
aim  of  arrows  shot  from  one  who  had  the  cunning 
of  the  bow  at  his  finger  ends,  yet  her  thoughts  dwelt 
anxiously  on  the  future,  with  a  thousand  pon- 
derings. 

But  suddenly  Lazarus  ceased  to  speak,  for  the 
thrilling  voice  of  the  Nazarene  arose  in  words  that 
were  addressed  to  all  multitudes  and  all  nations; 
words  that  to  those  who  understood  them  set  forth 
the  great  news  of  His  impending  death. 

Surely  the  poor,  wan  face,  the  lips  that  never 
laughed,  told  their  own  tale  of  the  secret  griefs  and 
temptations  of  the  Man  of  Sorrows ;  griefs  and  temp- 
tations more  gigantic  than  could  be  conceived  by 
mortal  man,  the  temptation  to  use  His  power  to  set 
aside  grief  and  sorrow,  to  reject  death,  while  yet  ac- 
cepting them. 

At  last  He  cried:  "And  what  shall  I  say? 
Father,  save  Me  from  this  hour.  But  for  this  cause 
came  I  unto  this  hour." 

Then,  as  if  to  defy  fate  and  unbelief,  temptation, 
fear,  insult,  torment,  He  raised  His  face,  sublime  in 
its  gentle  gravity,  towards  heaven,  and,  with  a  voice 
that  breathed  with  faith  and  love,  He  cried: 
"  Father,  glorify  Thy  name." 

Then,  although  the  day  was  fine  and  bright,  and 
no  cloud  hung  across  the  heavens,  was  heard  a  thun- 
der-clap, then  another;  yet  to  some  it  sounded  not 
wholly  like  a  thunder-clap,  so  that  those  standing 
nearest  to  Jesus  said,  "  An  angel  spake  to  Him;  I 
heard  the  voice.  Methought  I  heard  the  word 
glory."  And  Lazarus  and  John  and  several  others 


LAZARUS.  267 

affirmed  that  a  voice  had  called  out  from  heaven,  "I 
have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again." 

At  the  words  of  His  Father  an  expression  of  radi- 
ant gratitude  came  over  the  visage  of  the  Nazarene ; 
and,  to  leave  no  doubt  in  their  terrified  minds  as  to 
whether  it  was  thunder  or  the  voice  of  God  that 
spoke,  He  said:  "The  voice  came  not  because  of 
Me,  but  for  your  sakes.  Now  is  the  judgment  of 
this  world :  now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be 
cast  out.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth, 
will  draw  all  men  unto  Me." 

These  words,  mystic  and  ambiguous  to  many, 
filled  the  soul  of  Lazarus  with  dismay.  How  could 
he  live  this  new  life  without  his  Master  ?  His  own 
death  and  resurrection  seemed  to  have  done  little 
towards  making  people  believe.  The  prospect  of 
his  renewed  life  without  the  supporting  presence  of 
the  Christ,  to  be  ended,  in  all  likelihood,  by  an 
agonising  death,  seemed  almost  more  than  he  could 
bear. 

Then  some  of  the  Pharisees  and  chief  rulers,  who 
believed  but  durst  not  confess  it,  lest  they  should  be 
cast  out  of  the  Synagogue,  approached  Him  with 
the  questions  that  were  their  endless  stumbling- 
stones  ;  questions  of  that  law  which  had  so  wound 
itself  round  their  hearts  and  brains  that  it  seemed  to 
stifle  spiritual  life. 

'  We  have  heard  out  of  the  law  that  Christ  abideth 
forever;  and  how  sayest  Thou  that  the  Son  of  man 
must  be  lifted  up  ?  Who  is  this  Son  of  man  ?  " 

Did  the  world  then  mean  to  spin  out  its  years  to 
the  end  of  time  without  ever  coming  any  nearer  to 
its  God,  that  the  presence  of  the  Son  of  man  was  so 


268  LAZARUS. 

difficult  to  grasp  ?  Could  they  understand  a  Christ, 
but  not  a  perfect  man,  not  a  suffering,  tempted,  sym- 
pathising sorrower  ? 

And  Jesus  answered  almost  with  a  cry,  one  last 
appeal  to  them  to  try  to  believe  while  yet  they  lived. 

Was  it  all  to  be  of  no  avail,  this  mission  upon 
earth  ?  The  wearying  thirty  years  ?  The  miracles, 
the  awful  death  ?  All  wasted,  all  poured  out  for 
naught  ?  Was  the  sacrifice  of  the  Creator  for  His 
own  creation  to  be  in  vain  ? 

"  Yet  a  little  while  is  the  light  with  you.  Walk 
while  ye  have  the  light,  lest  the  darkness  come  upon 
you :  for  he  that  walketh  in  darkness  knoweth  not 
whither  he  goeth.  While  ye  have  the  light,  believe  in 
the  light,  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  the  light." 

Then,  wearied  and  disappointed,  His  heart  heavy 
at  the  future  of  horror  these  people  were  preparing 
for  themselves,  the  Nazarene  walked  through  the 
crowd,  and,  as  if  by  magic,  disappeared. 

"  Surely  He  hath  been  caught  up,"  said  some, 
"  for,  though  we  look  down  the  road,  we  cannot  see 
aught  of  Him.  Therefore  said  He,  '  If  I  be  lifted 
up  from  the  earth.'  ' 

But,  notwithstanding  this  fresh  miracle,  notwith- 
standing the  voice  from  heaven,  still  very  few  be- 
lieved in  Him  as  the  Christ  that  should  have  come. 
It  was  as  Esaias  the  prophet  had  said,  "  He  hath 
blinded  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their  heart;  that 
they  should  not  see  with  their  eyes,  nor  understand 
with  their  heart,  and  be  converted,  and  that  I  should 
heal  them." 

Then,  while  the  wondering  crowd  was  debating, 
squabbling,  pondering,  scoffing,  musing,  working 


LAZARUS.  269 

itself  up  into  violent  dissensions — such  as  religious 
matters  ever  breed — about  the  Messiah's  disappear- 
ance, the  voice  that  so  vibrated  with  truth  and  sua- 
sion, the  intensity  of  whose  reality  no  man  could 
fathom ;  the  voice,  that  those  who  had  once  heard 
it  would  never  forget,  rose  in  a  long  and  bitter  cry, 
like  the  dying  warning  of  an  eternal  farewell : 

"  He  that  believeth  in  Me,  believeth  not  in  Me, 
but  in  Him  that  sent  Me.  I  am  come  a  light  unto 
the  world,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Me  should 
not  abide  in  darkness.  And  if  any  man  hear  My 
words,  and  believe  not,  I  judge  him  not :  for  I  came 
not  to  judge  the  world,  but  to  save  the  world.  He 
that  rejecteth  Me,  and  receiveth  not  My  words,  hath 
one  that  judgeth  him :  the  word  that  I  have  spoken, 
the  same  shall  judge  him  in  the  last  day.  For  I  have 
not  spoken  of  Myself;  but  the  Father  which  sent 
Me,  He  gave  Me  commandment,  what  I  should  say, 
and  what  I  should  speak.  And  I  know  that  His 
commandment  is  life  everlasting :  whatsoever  I  speak, 
therefore,  even  as  the  Father  said  unto  Me,  even  so 
I  speak." 

Clear,  distinct,  like  drops  of  tinkling  water  fell 
the  words,  piercing  as  nails,  leaving  no  doubt,  no 
want  of  emphasis  behind  them,  enhanced  by  all  the 
mystery  of  an  unseen  voice ;  but  they  fell  as  water 
falls  on  rocks,  but  to  splash  up  again  and  glance  off. 
An  unmoved  nation  passed  silently  along  the  road, 
unconscious  of  the  priceless  value  of  the  light  that 
was  gradually  flitting  away,  and  of  the  darkness  that 
would  soon  envelop  them  eternally  with  a  gloomy 
mantle  damp  with  the  sweating  of  horror  of  a  peo- 
ple re-awakened  all  too  late. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

IV  TOTWITHSTANDING  all  the  stirring  events 
1  N  and  anxieties  of  that  period,  notwithstanding 
the  frequent  threatenings  that  were  directed  at  the 
Nazarene  and  Lazarus,  life  in  the  house  at  Bethany 
had  resumed  its  usual  aspect,  and,  to  all  appearance, 
ran  its  ordinary  course. 

One  there  was,  however,  whose  whole  life  had 
undergone  a  change.  Sins  in  others,  that  he  had 
before  regarded  as  intolerable,  were  spoken  of  with 
leniency  and  made  only  the  subject  of  prayer  by 
Lazarus.  High  place,  his  position  in  the  Sanhedrim 
and  as  a  ruler,  not  only  ceased  to  have  any  value  in 
his  eyes,  but  aroused  in  him  a  faint  sense  of  wonder 
that  he  should  ever  have  desired  them  ;  while,  some- 
what to  Martha's  dismay,  large  sums  were  daily  dis- 
tributed in  secret  to  the  poor. 

"  Thou  wilt  have  nothing  left  at  last,"  she  said  to 
Lazarus  one  day. 

"  He  hath  said  that  I  should  give  to  the  poor  all 
I  possessed  and  follow  Him,"  replied  Lazarus  sim- 
ply. "  When  all  shall  have  been  given,  the  Lord 
will  provide  more. '' 

And  Martha  would  go  away,  shrugging  her  shoul- 
ders, but  not  arguing,  as  she  would  have  done  in  the 
olden  days. 

But  one  there  was  who  watched  the  face  of  Lazarus 
270 


LAZARUS.  271 

with  an  increasing  intensity  of  love  that  sharpened 
observation,  and  who  saw  upon  it  a  restless  expres- 
sion, as  of  some  inward  doubt ;  and  this  was  his  sis- 
ter Mary. 

"  Hast  any  troubles,  Lazarus  ?"  she  asked  him 
about  two  days  after  the  entry  into  Jerusalem. 

"  I  scarce  know  whether  't  is  trouble  or  not,"  he 
answered ;  "  or  whether  the  tempting  of  some  sin  to 
be  resisted;  and,  if  it  be,  whether  I  should  have 
courage  to  resist  it. ' ' 

4 '  I  know, ' '  said  Mary  half  playfully.  ' '  I  guessed 
it  long  ago.  Thou  dost  love  the  Magdalene." 

Lazarus  looked  at  her  in  wonder  at  her  discern- 
ment. 

"  And  she  too  loveth  thee  well,  I  know,"  went 
on  his  sister.  4  Yet  I  know  not  what  would  be  said 
in  Israel  if  thou  didst  marry  the  sinner." 

"  I  care  not  what  they  say  in  Israel,"  answered 
Lazarus.  "  Henceforth  I  am  a  free  man,  held  no 
more  in  bondage  by  the  letter,  but  only  by  the  spirit ; 
and  if  methought  I  could  raise  the  Magdalene  once 
more  in  the  eyes  of  those  around  us,  I  would  do 
it  gladly.  Yet  there  is  more  in  all  this  than  can 
be  readily  thought  out.  I  know  not  whether  the 
Lord  would  have  me  do  this  thing;  for  when  He 
said,  '  Leave  all  and  follow  Me,'  't  was,  perchance, 
that  He  requireth  all  my  service,  all  my  heart. 
Then  again,  I  fear  that  when  our  dear  Master  shall 
be  dead,  we  too  shall  be  seized  and  condemned  to 
death,  for  that  we  loved  Him  and  can  bear  witness 
to  His  great  glory.  Thus  I  know  not  whether  't 
were  better  to  link  my  life  with  the  Magdalene 
or  not. ' ' 


2/2  LAZARUS. 

"  What  will  the  proud  Rebekah  say?"  asked 
Mary,  leaving  her  brother's  arguments  unanswered, 
while  she  followed  her  own  thoughts  into  other  chan- 
nels; "  for  I  hear  that,  since  thy  resurrection,  she  is 
like  one  mad  with  joy.  Thinkest  thou  she  will  be- 
lieve, for  she  did  say,  '  If  He  raiseth  Lazarus,  I  too 
will  believe '  ?" 

"  God  will  it  so,"  said  Lazarus,  musingly,  and 
somewhat  doubtfully.  "  I  would  not  judge  her; 
but  I  fear  she  would  believe  only  if  I  did  love 
her;  yet,  if  I  should  wed  the  Magdalene,  methinks 
she  would  strain  every  nerve  to  get  our  Master  and 
ourselves  into  the  power  of  Caiaphas.  Still  we  know 
not." 

;<  Hast  spoken  to  the  Magdalene  of  thy  love  ?  " 

"  Nay,  I  will  say  naught  to  that  loving  heart  till 
I  know  what  the  Lord  wisheth  me  to  do.  This  is 
no  time  for  marrying  or  giving  in  marriage ;  yet,  if 
I  could  protect  the  Magdalene  from  the  world's 
taunts,  I  would  gladly  do  it.  To-night  we  sup  with 
the  Master,  and  my  heart  is  in  great  heaviness;  for 
thereafter  He  will  be  betrayed,  and  then,  who  know- 
eth  all  the  grief  that  will  come  to  pass  ?  Oh  that 
Jerusalem  would  believe,"  he  went  on,  wearily,  his 
mind  passing  to  more  serious  things.  '  That  surely 
is  the  greatest  doubt  of  all,  that  He  doth  not  make 
them  to  believe." 

"  Because  they  will  not.  Each  one  hath  had  his 
chance.  Aye,  a  thousand-fold,  and  they  will  not, 
they  will  not." 

A  few  hours  later,  the  little  band  of  disciples  met 
once  more.  All  were  sad  to-night,  for  all  felt  a  ter- 
rible catastrophe  impending.  Mary  and  Martha  had 


LAZARUS.  273 

stayed  away,  for  they  would  have  been  the  only 
women  present.  All  the  disciples  were  to  be  there, 
besides  Lazarus,  Nicodemus,  and  others  who  had 
been  around  Him  throughout  His  ministry. 

John  had  told  them  that,  after  this,  he  feared 
there  would  be  no  meeting-place,  for  that  the  ter- 
rible hour  was  close  at  hand.  It  would  be  at  the 
Passover  that  the  fate  of  the  Lord  would  be  de- 
cided, for  they  could  not  doubt  that  He  would  be 
arrested  the  moment  He  set  foot  in  Jerusalem, 
whether  He  was  to  be  released  or  condemned ;  and 
all  knew  that,  if  Caiaphas's  will  could  turn  the 
scale,  the  Messiah  would  not  be  released;  nay, 
more,  He  had  told  them  that  it  would  be  so.  Per- 
haps they  still  hoped  for  some  great  miracle  direct 
from  God  to  save  their  dear  Lord ;  for  hope  lingers 
in  the  human  heart  till  the  very  moment  at  which 
death  comes  and  bears  away  our  loved  ones. 

To-night  the  Nazarene  had  prepared  a  bond  of  re- 
membrance between  them  that  He  would  establish 
forever;  a  bond  that  would  last  through  all  the 
ages;  that  would  serve  for  ever  to  bring  back  to 
them  the  memory  of  His  ministry  and  His  words 
and  His  stupendous  sacrifice. 

To-night  would  be  Judas  Iscariot's  last  chance  of 
redemption.  How  would  He  live  on  after  the  Lord 
should  have  shown  him  that  He  knew  what  was  in 
his  heart  ?  The  tortuous  path  of  that  darkened  soul 
will  always  remain  inscrutable,  unknown  to  mortals, 
till  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away ;  perhaps  even 
throughout  the  immeasurable  aeons  of  eternity. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

IT  was  the  day  of  the  Paschal  Feast,  and  all  night 
Martha  had  been  busy  preparing  with  her  house- 
hold the  lamb  and  other  dishes  for  the  feast,  includ- 
ing the  thin  Passover  cakes  which  it  was  the  custom 
to  dip  into  the  wine,  or  any  other  beverage,  and  send 
round  in  the  cup. 

While  she  worked,  the  Nazarene,  watched  by  Laz- 
arus, slept  or  prayed.  A  great  misgiving  was  in  the 
hearts  of  all.  Everyone  who  came  from  Jerusalem 
brought  different  news,  but  all  based  on  one  great 
fact,  the  wrath  of  the  Pharisees  and  rulers  in  gen- 
eral, and  of  Caiaphas  in  particular,  at  the  reception 
of  the  Messiah  on  His  late  entry  into  Jerusalem. 
It  was  fear,  both  physical  and  moral,  that  actuated 
Caiaphas  now.  As  a  frightened  dog  snaps  and  flies 
at  those  around  him,  each  in  turn,  so  Caiaphas 
tried  to  hide  his  own  trepidation  beneath  a  sem- 
blance of  attack. 

Yet  these  rumours  filled  with  dismay  the  hearts 
of  those  who  loved  the  Lord. 

'  I  fear  me;  I  fear  me  greatly,"  Lazarus  said. 
"  He  will  eat  the  Passover  at  Jerusalem,  according 
to  the  law  of  Moses,  yet  surely  they  will  there  sur- 
prise Him." 

'  How  can  it  be,"  asked  Martha,  "  that  Judas, 
who  doth  follow  Him  day  and  night,  doth  compass 

274 


LAZARUS.  275 

to  betray  Him  ?  Methinks  that  even  Satan  himself 
would  not  act  thus." 

"  Nay,  Satan  doth  make  others  to  sin  for  him," 
answered  Lazarus;  "  but  't  is  greed  with  Judas,  the 
love  of  money  that  is  the  curse  of  all  our  nation ; 
that  doth  even  overwhelm  the  world.  Surely  the 
wrath  of  Caiaphas  is  not  that  the  Master  doth  call 
Himself  the  Son  of  God,  but  that  the  tables  of  the 
money-changers  and  of  the  sellers  of  doves  were 
overturned.  The  spaces,  too,  in  the  Temple  court, 
't  is  well  known  that  a  Pharisee  doth  give  a  high 
price  to  Caiaphas  to  have  the  right  to  sell  there." 

"  But  to  sell  the  Lord  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver! 
the  price  of  the  meanest  slave!  " 

"  Dost  not  mind  the  prophet  Zechariah,  how  he 
saith,  '  So  they  weighed  for  my  price  thirty  pieces 
of  silver  '  ?  " 

"  But  the  Lord,  the  Lord!  "  said  Martha,  while 
tears  rose  to  her  eyes. 

At  that  moment  Mary  entered  the  room.  "  The 
Lord  hath  need  of  Peter  and  John,  to  send  them  to 
Jerusalem." 

"  Still  will  He  sup  with  them  at  Jerusalem  ?" 
asked  Lazarus,  as  he  went  to  do  as  he  had  been  bid. 

Then  the  Nazarene  gave  this  order  to  the  dis- 
ciples: "  Go  ye  into  the  city,  and  there  shall  meet 
ye  a  man  bearing  a  pitcher  of  water:  follow  him. 
And  wheresoever  he  shall  go  in,  say  ye  to  the  good- 
man  of  the  house,  The  Master  saith,  Where  is  the 
guest-chamber,  where  I  shall  eat  the  passover  with 
My  disciples  ?  And  he  will  show  you  a  large  upper 
room  furnished  and  prepared :  there  make  ready  for 
us." 


2/6  LAZARUS. 

"  Surely  't  is  a  wonderful  thing,"  said  Lazarus  to 
his  sisters,  "  this  union  of  the  man  and  God;  for, 
when  He  willeth,  He  can  command  angels  for  signs 
and  wonders,  and  He  knoweth  all  things ;  yet  by  His 
power  will  He  escape  none  of  the  troubles  of  this 
world ;  for,  methinks,  if  now  He  did  but  command 
a  legion  of  angels  to  defend  Him  from  the  High 
Priest,  they  would  descend." 

'  Verily,  verily  thou  speakest  truth,"  said  Mary. 

'T  is  marvellous  that  this  God,  for  love  of  us, 
should  deign  to  suffer  sorrow,  as  though  He  were 
but  man." 

Evening  had  come,  and  Jesus,  accompanied  by 
Lazarus  and  the  twelve  apostles,  started  for  the 
Passover  Feast.  The  two  women  watched  them  go 
with  tightening  hearts. 

"Who  knoweth,"  said  Martha,  "whether  they 
will  ever  return  ?  My  heart  misgiveth  me,  and 
Jerusalem  doth  fill  my  soul  with  terror." 

But  Mary  said  nothing;  only  raised  an  inward 
prayer  that  if  they  should  be  taken  that  night  they 
might  not  suffer  long. 

And  then  the  two  women  turned  back  to  their 
solitary  house,  from  which  all  sunshine  seemed  to 
have  departed,  as  it  had  when  Lazarus  had  died. 

"  Mark  thee,"  said  Martha  to  her  sister,  "  there 
are  terrible  days  in  store  for  us;  for  if  Jerusalem 
do  this  wicked  thing,  to  slay  the  Son  of  God,  surely 
the  curse  of  God  will  be  upon  her,  and  the  nations 
will  trample  upon  her  and  slay  her  people." 

"  Pray  God  that  our  faith  fail  not,"  murmured 
Mary. 

Presently,  Mary  Magdalene,  whom  they  had  bid- 


LAZARUS.  277 

den  to  the  Feast  of  the  Passover,  and  a  few  other 
God-fearing  women,  came,  and  in  sadness  and 
prayer  the  evening  passed. 

In  Jerusalem  more  stirring  events  were  taking 
place.  The  Feast  of  the  Passover  had  begun ;  the 
low  tables  stood  ready  covered  with  the  dishes  pre- 
pared by  Martha's  loving  hands,  and  carried  by  Peter 
and  John  to  the  chamber  provided  for  the  Nazarene. 
The  cushions  or  couches  were  arranged,  the  mats 
spread  out,  and  one  by  one  they  took  their  seats,  the 
Messiah  taking  the  chief  place,  and  John  reclining 
on  the  couch  on  the  right  of  Jesus,  so  that  his  head 
was  brought  close  to  the  Christ's  right  arm.  They 
were  dusty  with  their  journey,  and  when  Lazarus 
stooped  and  unfastened  the  latchets  of  the  Messiah's 
sandals,  he  wished  that  he  could  wash  those  beloved 
feet;  but  there  were  no  slaves  present  to  fetch 
water,  so  in  silence  he  took  his  seat. 

Some  instinct  made  him  seat  himself  next  Judas. 
If  any  treason  were  abroad  he  would  be  ready  to  de- 
fend the  Christ. 

The  supper  began  gloomily.  Too  many  mournful 
feelings  were  wafted  hither  and  thither,  anticipations 
were  too  sombre  and  too  terrible. 

To  Lazarus,  who  believed  that  Judas  Iscariot  was 
about  to  betray  the  Lord,  the  presence  of  the  traitor 
seemed  unbearable.  All  were  paralysed  with  won- 
der, expectant  of  something,  yet  they  knew  not 
what.  How  could  they  tell  that  evening,  that  re- 
pentance and  eternal  life  would  be  offered  to  a  soul 
so  cramped  by  greed  and  avarice  that  it  would  reject 
heaven  for  hell,  and  all  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver  ? 
Surely  a  sorry  price  for  such  a  crime ! 


2/8  LAZARUS. 

Then,  when  Jesus  saw  that  none  performed  the 
kindly  office  of  washing  of  the  feet,  He  rose  from 
the  table  and  sent  one  of  the  disciples  to  fetch  water. 
The  lessons  would  be  few  that  He  would  teach  them 
now;  after  to-morrow,  the  Son  of  God  would  be  a 
prisoner.  To-night  the  teachings,  that  would  last 
through  all  the  ages  of  the  earth,  must  be  set  forth ; 
and  to  the  patient,  loving  Teacher  it  seemed  that  no 
word  must  be  left  unsaid  that  might  make  the  bitter 
lessons  of  the  future  easier. 

With  amaze  they  watched  Him  take  off  his  upper 
garment  and  gird  a  towel  round  his  loins,  then  pour 
water  into  a  large  copper  basin  that  stood  by. 

In  silence  they  regarded  Him,  while  He  knelt  at 
the  feet  of  one  after  another  of  His  disciples,  and 
dipped  His  shapely  hands,  hands  that  worked  only 
for  the  good  of  many,  into  the  limpid  water.  None 
spoke,  or  offered  to  relieve  Him  of  the  task,  lest  they 
should  seem  to  think  that  He  performed  only  a 
menial  act,  when,  in  truth,  they  looked  upon  it  as  a 
symbol  of  some  great  teaching;  yet  each  was  dis- 
tressed to  see  his  Lord  thus  meekly  kneeling. 

"  Surely  this  is  the  greatest  lesson  of  all,"  said 
Lazarus. 

When  Jesus  came  to  Peter,  the  apostle  could  con- 
tain himself  no  longer. 

"  Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet,"  he  said,  stand- 
ing up,  and,  with  two  hands,  pressing  away  the 
basin. 

But,  with  quiet  insistence,  the  Nazarene  replied : 
"  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  with  Me." 

Then  Peter  understood  that  this  was  some  great 
ceremonial,  to  complete  the  bonds  of  love  and  ten- 


LAZARUS.  2/9 

derness  between  the  chosen  few  and  their  Messiah ; 
and,  humble  as  a  little  child,  he  answered:  "  Lord, 
not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands  and  my  head." 

But  Jesus  proceeded  to  wash  his  feet,  saying  the 
while:  "He  that  is  washed  needeth  not  but  to  wash 
his  feet,  and  is  clean  every  whit,  and  ye  are  clean." 
Then,  turning  His  full  gaze  upon  Iscariot,  He  said, 
with  a  deep  yearning  in  His  voice:  "  But  not  all." 

Then  all  watched  with  wonder  to  see  whether 
Jesus  would  wash  the  feet  of  Judas  too. 

But  even  Judas  was  not  omitted  from  His  loving 
hands.  There  was  breathless  silence  while  he 
washed  the  feet  of  the  man  whom  all  suspected  now 
to  be  the  traitor.  And,  while  He  did  so,  Jesus 
raised  His  mournful  eyes  to  those  of  Judas  and 
gazed  at  him  repoachfully. 

'  Wilt  thou  too  not  be  clean  ?  "  the  look  seemed 
to  say.  '  There  is  yet  time  to  draw  back;  it  must 
be  that  I  die,  but  it  needs  not  be  through  thee. 
Thou  hast  planned  thy  scheme,  they  are  waiting  for 
thee  without;  thou  knowest  My  plans,  and  art  to 
tell  them  whither  I  go  this  night ;  but  go  not.  Let 
Me  draw  thee  to  Me  by  the  bonds  of  love.  Let  Me 
cleanse  thy  soul  of  all  its  filth.  Return  to  Me ;  I  am 
still  here  waiting,  waiting.  Time  is  passing  quickly, 
a  life's  remorse  awaits  thee  in  this  world,  a  dreadful 
death ;  in  the  next  an  eternity  of  pain.  Draw  back. ' ' 

All  that  it  seemed  to  say;  but  Judas  shifted  un- 
easily on  his  seat,  as  though  the  touch  of  Jesus 
scorched  his  nerves,  and  he  kept  his  eyes  down,  as 
though  searching  the  water  in  the  copper  basin,  that 
in  the  light  of  the  lamp  shone  more  ruddily  than  his 
own  red  hair. 


280  LAZARUS. 

And  Lazarus,  in  grief  and  wonder,  murmured  to 
himself:  "  His  own  familiar  friend,  His  own  familiar 
friend. ' ' 

Then,  when  Jesus  sat  down  again,  a  look  of  pain 
and  grief  passed  over  Him.  It  was  as  though  He 
had  lost  something,  or  had  missed  a  face  from  the 
throng  He  would  one  day  see  again.  And,  while 
He  explained  to  them  the  meaning  of  His  service  of 
humility,  a  great  gloom  settled  on  them  all. 

"  If  I,  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed 
your  feet,  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another's  feet. 
For  I  have  given  you  an  example  that  ye  should  do 
as  I  have  done  unto  you." 

There  was  a  tone  of  weariness,  almost  of  despond- 
ency, in  the  tender  voice. 

He  was  filled  with  horror  at  the  duplicity  of  the 
man  who  sat  at  the  table  with  Him ;  with  sorrow  at 
the  greed  and  hardness  of  his  heart ;  at  the  awful 
future  he  was  preparing  for  himself.  Perhaps,  too, 
in  all  reverence  be  it  said,  there  was  in  the  human 
essence  of  His  Person  a  shrinking  from  the  trial 
that  lay  before  Him,  and  the  faintest  glimmer  of  a 
doubt  whether  the  stupendous  sacrifice  He  contem- 
plated was  not  in  excess  of  the  result  to  be  obtained. 
Who,  in  a  humbler  way,  has  not  felt,  after  some 
action  of  self-sacrifice  or  self-denial  has  been  per- 
formed, "  What  good  has  it  done  after  all?  I  might 
have  spared  myself  "? 

The  nerves  of  the  little  band  were  strung  to  the 
highest  pitch.  Encased  in  bonds  of  human  igno- 
rance and  incapacity,  they  were  daily  in  presence  of 
divine  outpourings  their  understanding  failed  to 
hold.  The  peace  and  comfort  that  were  to  be  the 


LAZARUS.  28l 

parting  gifts  of  the  Messiah  had  not  yet  come. 
Their  hearts  were  torn  with  grief,  their  brains  weary 
with  fruitless  speculation,  their  bodies  suffering  from 
the  fatigue  of  many  watchings  and  a  long  day's  walk. 
Besides  all  this,  was  the  foreboding  of  their  approach- 
ing separation  from  Him  who  was  the  centre-piece  of 
their  soul's  refreshment,  the  fountain  of  revivifica- 
tion. It  was  as  though  the  demon  of  despair  was 
sifting  them  as  wheat,  as  though  great  dark  wings  of 
horror  were  folding  gradually  about  them.  Their 
emotions  held  them  dumb.  Then,  in  the  general  sil- 
ence, the  Messiah  broke  forth  with  the  cry :  "  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  one  of  you  shall  betray 
Me. '  The  mask  of  hypocrisy  was  to  be  torn  away,  the 
awe-charged  atmosphere  that  hung  about  them  was 
to  explode  with  a  flash  of  revelation.  The  unerring, 
penetrating  bolt  of  Truth  was  to  crash  through  the 
outwork  of  hypocrisy  and  expose  to  view  the  citadel 
of  greed  and  unbelief  and  envy.  To-night  it  should 
be  proclaimed  that  one  sat  there  a  traitor  to  his  friend 
and  to  his  God ;  the  righteous  efforts  of  the  little 
band  of  believers  should  no  longer  be  paralysed  and 
polluted  by  the  presence  of  one  who  should  for  ever- 
more be  damned.  The  vile,  corrupted  thing  should 
be  rooted  out,  as  a  cancer  is  plucked  out  from  the 
body.  On  this  last  night  of  His  living,  loving  min- 
istry the  Christ  would  exert  His  right  to  have  about 
Him  only  those  who  loved  Him.  Only  to  them 
would  that  great  commission  of  love  and  peace  be 
given.  No  longer  should  the  words  of  a  God  fall 
on  the  ears  of  Satan's  emissary. 

It  seemed  to  the  disciples,  at  His  words,  as  though 
the  wrath  of  God  had  been  let  loose  at  last.     In  hor- 


282  LAZARUS. 

ror  lest,  by  some  mischance,  it  might  be  he,  mindful 
that  sin  was  ever  near,  each  one  cried  out :  "  Is  it  I  ? 
Is  it  I  ?" 

Had  they  by  any  negligence,  by  any  accident,  by 
any  careless  guarding  of  their  tongues,  betrayed 
the  Lord  ?  God  forbid ;  and  a  silent  prayer  went 
up  from  all,  save  Judas:  "  Lord,  save  us  from  this 
thing." 

Then,  with  a  hypocritical  smile,  trying  still,  as  so 
many  have  tried,  to  brazen  out  a  lie,  Judas  leaned 
forward  and  asked:  "  Rabbi,  is  it  I  ?  " 

And  Jesus,  looking  at  him  with  deepest  pity  in 
His  eyes,  made  answer:  "  Thou  hast  said."  And, 
with  the  words,  He  dipped  a  piece  of  the  Passover 
cake  into  a  cup  of  wine  and  handed  it  to  Judas. 

Maybe,  even  now  He  hoped  by  this  great  act  of 
condescension  to  win  him  over.  It  was  as  though 
He  said :  "  Although  it  is  thou,  yet  I  still  love  thee; 
I  still  offer  thee  the  salvation  that  is  offered  to 
others.  Wilt  thou  not  take  it  ?  " 

For  one  instant,  Judas  recoiled  before  his  deed; 
for  one  instant  he  hesitated.  Then,  as  if  to  defy 
them  all,  he  dipped  his  ringers  in  the  cup  and  took 
the  divine  offering.  A  murmur  rose  from  the  little 
body. 

One  leaned  over  to  the  other  and  said :  "  Shall  we 
smite  him  ?  Shall  we  slay  him  ? " 

But  Peter,  with  a  voice  thick  with  passion,  cried 
out:  "  Seest  thou  the  red  drops  of  wine  upon  thy 
fingers  ?  So  shall  the  blood  of  Jesus  be  upon  thee 
forever  and  ever." 

Then,  when  violence  seemed  imminent,  for  each 
rose  from  his  seat  and  approached  Judas  menacingly, 


LAZARUS.  283 

the  Messiah  made  a  sign  to  him  to  disappear,  before 
he  should  be  torn  to  pieces. 

"  What  thou  doest,  do  quickly,"  He  commanded. 
And  the  man  whom,  since  the  beginning  of  His  min- 
istry, He  had  loved  and  counselled,  arose  and  left 
the  room,  followed  by  the  sad  eyes  of  the  Messiah. 

Then,  to  cheer  His  sorrowing  disciples,  the  Lord 
raised  His  voice  almost  to  a  chant,  and  cried  :  "  Now 
is  the  Son  of  man  glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in 
Him." 

Then,  once  more,  He  poured  out  wine ;  but  when 
they  pressed  Him,  too,  to  drink,  He  pushed  the  cup 
away,  with  the  words:  "  I  will  not  drink  henceforth 
of  this  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  that  day  when  I  drink 
it  new  with  you  in  My  Father's  kingdom." 

The  supper  had  come  to  an  end,  and  all  stood  up 
and  sang  a  Hebrew  hymn.  Then,  one  after  another, 
they  followed  their  Lord  out  into  the  moonlight,  to 
make  their  way  with  Him  to  the  Mount  of  Olives 
and  thence  to  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane ;  that  gar- 
den holy  for  evermore,  because  watered  by  the  tears 
of  agony  of  the  Son  of  God. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

WHEN  Judas  rose  to  go,  fearful  for  his  own 
life,  and  obeying  a  behest  he  durst  not  dis- 
obey, he  did  not  go  immediately  to  the  Pharisees 
who  awaited  him,  but  made  his  way  by  tortuous 
pathways  to  the  back  of  Caiaphas's  house.  The 
door  opened  at  once  on  his  arrival,  as  if  some  one 
waited,  and  he  was  admitted. 

'  Thou  hast  been  long.  What  news  hast  thou  ?  " 
asked  Rebekah  breathlessly. 

'  They  sit  there  yet,  and  if  thou  wilt  follow  now, 
I  can  get  speech  of  Him  for  thee;  but  thou  must 
hasten,  for  they  will  not  tarry  long,  and  I  must  to 
the  Pharisees  to  instruct  them  of  their  movements." 

"  Thou  wilt  do  no  such  thing,  till  I  command 
thee." 

'  Yet,  if  I  tell  them  not,  I  shall  lose  my  money." 

"  Oh,  thou  narrow-brained  fool,  is  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  such  riches  to  thee  that  it  hath  turned  thy 
brain  ?  They  give  thee  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  be- 
tray thy  Friend,  and  I  offer  thee  sixty  not  to  do  so ; 
so  thou  dost  earn  double  money,  and  betrayest  not 
thy  Friend." 

'  Yet,  if  after  all  Lazarus  will  not  hearken  unto 
thee,  and  thou  givest  me  not  the  sixty  pieces,  per- 
chance I  shall  be  too  late  to  warn  thy  father;  thus 
will  I  lose  the  thirty  and  the  sixty." 

284 


LAZARUS.  285 

"  Lead  the  way,"  said  the  haughty  Rebekah, 
scorning  to  answer  such  base  reasoning,  hating  to 
place  herself  in  the  hands  of  so  mean  a  man,  yet 
maddened  by  her  insane  desire  to  obtain  speech  of 
Lazarus. 

They  walked  along  in  silence,  Judas  full  of  subtle 
thoughts,  partly  remorse,  partly  hate,  but  chiefly 
fear.  What  if  the  disciples  should  turn  upon  him 
and  slay  him  ?  What  if  Jesus  were  indeed  the  Son 
of  God  ? 

So  swift  and  silent  was  their  course  through  the 
deserted,  moonlit  streets  that  less  than  twenty  min- 
utes brought  them  to  the  door  of  the  house  in  which 
the  supper  had  been  held.  Here  a  man  from  Caia- 
phas  waited  for  news  from  Judas.  Both  drew  back 
into  the  darkness  when  the  white,  majestic  form 
came  out,  and  the  pure,  impassioned  face  of  the 
Nazarene  was  raised  sadly  to  the  moon.  So  serenely 
beautiful  was  He  that  both  could  but  catch  their 
breath  at  sight  of  Him.  Lazarus  was  following  the 
little  throng  by  the  backways  of  Jerusalem  when  a 
man  suddenly  plucked  him  by  the  sleeve  and  mur- 
mured :  "One  thou  knowest  would  have  speech  with 
thee;  follow  me." 

Lazarus  hesitated,  swayed  by  many  doubts.  He 
was  loath  to  separate  himself  from  the  little  band 
that  accompanied  the  Christ.  To  lose  Him  that 
night  was  perhaps  never  again  to  see  Him  alive,  or 
perchance,  to  miss  the  legacy  of  some  last  word  of 
recommendation ;  for  Lazarus  knew  that,  however 
devoted  were  His  disciples,  they  were  but  illiterate 
fishermen,  most  of  them;  and  that  it  would  be  he 
himself,  as  a  ruler  and  a  man  of  position,  besides 


286  LAZARUS. 

being  the  living  evidence  of  His  greatest  miracle, 
who  would  bear  the  brunt  of  persecution. 

Then  again,  this  might  be  a  trap  set  for  his  de- 
struction ;  he  felt  that  at  any  moment  he  might  be 
seized  and  killed  or  put  away,  lest  his  presence 
should  influence  the  populace.  He  did  not  fear 
death,  but  it  was  important  that  he  should  live,  lest 
the  Nazarene  should  need  him,  and  also  to  protect 
the  women  who  belonged  to  him.  Faintly  the  im- 
age of  the  Magdalene  flitted  across  his  brain. 

4 'Who  seeketh  me  ?  "  he  asked  the  speaker,  doubt- 
fully. But,  even  while  he  spoke,  a  written  message 
was  thrust  into  his  hands. 

"  If  thou  wouldst  save  the  Nazarene,  speak  with 
me  at  once.  Rebekah. " 

Still  he  hesitated.  ' '  Save  the  Nazarene !  ' '  What 
did  it  mean,  to  save  the  Nazarene  ?  Was  it  possi- 
ble ?  Was  He  not  destined  to  die  and  by  His  death 
to  save  ?  What  new  problem  was  this  ?  His  pure 
mind  had  put  away,  since  that  day  when  they  had 
met,  all  thought  of  Rebekah's  sensual  love;  he  had 
striven  to  believe  that  she  was  impressed  by  the 
preaching  of  the  Nazarene  and  sought  salvation 
through  Him. 

He  erred,  as  so  many  true,  good  people  err,  by 
wilfully  ignoring  evil  when  they  see  it. 

Should  he  go  ?  Then,  even  while  he  hesitated, 
the  little  band  crossed  over  the  street,  and  Rebekah 
sprang  forward  and  seized  him  by  the  arm;  while 
Judas,  fearful  lest  his  victim  should  escape  him,  ran 
off  in  the  darkness  to  warn  the  authorities  of  the 
Messiah's  movements. 

"  But  capture  Him  not,  till  I  come  again,"  he 
said. 


LAZARUS.  287 

"Dost  wish  s'peech  of  me?"  asked  Lazarus 
sternly.  "  Then  prithee,  lady,  be  brief;  for  the 
Master  is  already  on  His  way,  and  I  must  follow 
Him." 

"  Listen,  then,"  she  answered  quickly;  "  I  will 
strike  a  bargain  with  thee.  If  thou  wilt  love  me  and 
take  me  to  be  thy  wife,  then  will  I  go  to  my  father 
and  entreat  of  him  the  life  of  the  Nazarene;  nay 
more,  I  will  see  to  it  that  an  order  be  sent  through- 
out the  country  that  any  who  shall  lay  hands  on  Him 
or  on  His  followers  shall  be  condemned ;  but,  if  thou 
shouldst  deny  me  this,  ere  this  bright  moon  doth 
unveil  herself  again,  the  Nazarene  shall  hang  upon 
the  cross  on  yonder  mount ;  and  mayhap  thou  too 
wilt  die." 

'  The  cross  ?  The  sign  of  shame  ?  "  gasped  Laz- 
arus, laying  his  hand  on  her  arm,  forgetful  of  all  else 
but  that  the  death  they  planned  for  his  Master  was 
a  shameful  and  degrading  one. 

'The  cross!"  Rebekah  said  again,  "and  thy 
great  Friend,  thy  Nazarene,  thy  Christ,  will  hang 
affixed  with  cruel  nails  from  hour  to  hour,  and  all 
the  multitude  will  revile  and  scoff  at  Him." 

"  Hold  thy  peace,  woman,"  cried  Lazarus 
sharply,  shading  with  his  hand  his  eyes  as  if  to  shut 
out  the  dreadful  picture  from  his  mind.  "  Peace, 
be  still !  Hast  thou  no  heart,  that  thou  canst  pierce 
mine  so  deeply  ?  " 

"  Hast  thou  not  pierced  mine  ?"  returned  Re- 
bekah. 

"  O  woman,  canst  thou  not  understand  that  that 
short  grief  of  thine,  that  fancy  of  thy  maddening 
brain,  is  naught,  naught  compared  with  this  world's 
sin,  if  it  should  crucify  the  Lord  ?  " 


288  LAZARUS. 

"  Then  if  the  pain  of  mine  heart  be  naught,  and 
the  sin  of  crucifying  this  Man  so  great,  canst  thou 
not  give  a  few  years  of  thy  life  to  save  Him  ?  Am 
I  then  so  unbeautiful,  so  despised  a  thing  that  thou 
wouldst  rather  let  die  the  Nazarene  than  wed  me  ?  " 

Then,  turning  upon  her  the  full  expression  of  his 
earnestness,  he  spoke  once  more. 

"  Noble  lady,  if  thou  canst  save  the  Nazarene, 
thou  wilt  do  it  for  the  love  of  God.  Thou  couldst 
not  bear  to  live  if  thou  hadst  helped  to  crucify  the 
Christ." 

"  Thou  dost  not  know  the  daughter  of  Caiaphas," 
she  answered  wildly.  "  There  is  naught,  naught, 
naught,  I  will  not  do  if  thou  dost  spurn  me.  For 
thy  sake  have  I  come  here  to-night,  for  thy  sake  will 
I  endure  my  father's  wrath  and  the  scorn  of  all  the 
rulers  of  the  Synagogue,  for  they  will  say  for  love  of 
Lazarus  the  Nazarene  was  spared." 

"  And  thinkest  thou  that,  if  He  would  be  saved, 
He  could  not  command  legions  of  angels,  and  even 
now  slay  Caiaphas  and  all  the  high  priests  in  the 
world  ?" 

"  Should  He  do  this,  perchance  we  would  be- 
lieve," she  answered  scoffingly. 

"  Maiden,"  said  Lazarus  impressively,  "  when  I 
lay  dead  thou  didst  come  to  me  and  thou  saidst : 
4  If  Lazarus  do  come  again  to  life  I  will  believe.' 
And  every  day  thou  earnest  to  my  sepulchre  and 
didst  watch  to  see  they  stole  me  not  away.  And 
when  thou  sawest  me  rise,  didst  thou  believe  ?  " 

"  And  thou  art  really  that  same  Lazarus  ?  "  said 
Rebekah  musingly. 

"  Hast  given,  then,  thine  heart  to  two  ?  "  asked 


LAZARUS.  289 

Lazarus  scornfully.  "  Out  of  thine  heart  thou  art 
confounded.  Thine  own  heart  doth  witness  of  the 
Christ,  for,  if  thou  lovest  me  still,  I  must  be  Laza- 
rus, and  if  not,  why  art  thou  here  to-night  ?  Nay, 
maiden,  I  will  not  wed  thee,  nor  can  I  barter  my 
Lord's  freedom  for  all  thy  promises  of  love.  Fare- 
well!" 

"  So  much  dost  thou  love  the  Nazarene  that, 
rather  than  spend  thy  life  with  me,  thou  wouldst  see 
Him  die.  How  thou  must  hate  me!  " 

But  Lazarus  had  already  hurried  after  the  others. 
For  one  instant  he  had  hesitated,  debating  whether 
it  were  possible  to  influence  this  perverse  daughter 
of  Israel,  and,  by  influencing  her,  to  bring  about 
the  safety  of  his  Lord.  But  he  knew  that  it  was 
not  to  be.  The  present  safety  of  the  Nazarene 
would  mean  the  holding  of  Him  back  from  eternal 
glory,  eternal  rest;  the  delaying  of  His  return  to 
the  Father  who  had  sent  Him,  the  prolonging  of 
the  agony  of  the  earthly  ministry. 

"  What  thou  doest,  do  quickly,"  the  Lord  had 
said.  It  would  be  best  now  that  all  should  be 
quickly  over;  yes,  though  his  heart  fainted  within 
him  when  he  reflected  on  the  Saviour's  sufferings,  it 
were  better  that  these  sufferings,  which  had  to  be, 
should  once  for  all  be  undergone,  than  remain  hang- 
ing over  the  head  of  that  gentle  Saviour,  like  thun- 
der clouds  about  to  burst. 

It  was  necessary  that  He  should  die ;  Lazarus,  who 
had  been  in  Hades,  knew  it  better  than  did  all  other 
men. 

Besides,  he  had  a  question  to  ask  the  Lord,  if  a 

fitting  moment  could  be  found.     He  must  hurry  on, 
19 


290  LAZARUS. 

and  he  did  so,  this  time  oblivious  of  courtesy  or 
chivalry  to  Rebekah,  absorbed  in  the  one  great  fear 
that  he  might  miss  the  Lord. 

So,  in  the  moonlit  night,  he  tore  along  the  narrow 
streets — as  he  had  torn  along  the  broad  road  follow- 
ing the  Christ — all  the  way  to  the  Mount  of  Olives 
and  into  the  very  Garden  of  Gethsemane. 

When  Lazarus  gained  the  side  of  Jesus,  the  an- 
swer to  the  question  in  his  mind  was  given  without 
his  seeking  it. 

"  A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye 
love  one  another."  Lazarus  started;  the  eyes  of 
Jesus  seemed  to  fall  on  him,  enveloping  him  with 
the  tenderness  of  infinite  love,  a  love  wide  enough 
to  enfold  the  world. 

Then,  in  the  dark,  Iscariot  crept  up  to  Rebekah, 
who  was  leaning  faint  and  powerless  against  the 
porch  that  stood  out  from  the  house,  her  figure  cast- 
ing a  great  black  shadow  on  the  wall,  which  was  al- 
most white  in  the  moon's  silvery  light. 

"  Shall  I,  then,  save  the  Nazarene  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Nay,  slay  Him,  slay  Him  quickly;  go  earn  thy 
thirty  pieces  of  silver,  and,  for  aught  I  care,"  she 
added  furiously,  "  slay  Lazarus  too." 

And,  with  a  hideous  cry,  the  traitor  fled ;  and  the 
haughty,  vengeful  maiden  wended  her  way  home- 
wards through  the  silent  streets,  the  hot  blood  surg- 
ing to  her  ears  and  brow,  and  oblivious  of  place  and 
hour  and  danger  and  of  all,  save  that  Lazarus  was 
gone  from  her  forever  and  that  she  hated  the  Naza- 
rene with  an  undying  hatred. 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

BUT,  when  Lazarus  joined  the  little  band  of  dis- 
ciples, the  image  of  Rebekah,  yes,  even  of  the 
Magdalene,  forsook  his  mind.  The  Lord,  the  Mas- 
ter, reigned  supreme.  Everything  to-night  must  be 
pressed  into  His  service.  These  last  hours  were 
His,  and  His  alone.  Knowing  the  character  of  the 
disciples,  how,  notwistanding  their  protestations, 
they  were  yet  ignorant  men,  whose  only  strength  lay 
in  the  fact  of  their  having  obeyed  the  Christ  in  the 
spirit  of  a  little  child ;  conscious  of  the  impetuous, 
changeable,  easily  panic-stricken  character  of  the 
dwellers  in  the  East,  Lazarus  felt  that  it  behoved 
him  specially  to  follow  Jesus.  It  might  be  that  that 
night  He  would  be  betrayed.  All  His  words  tended 
to  make  them  think  so.  It  might  be  that  all  would 
be  cut  down  with  Him.  If  so,  what  greater  proof 
of  love  could  he  give  the  Christ  than  to  die  with 
Him  ?  It  might  be,  though  Lazarus  would  not 
harbour  the  thought,  that  they  would  flee:  some  of 
them,  Peter  and  Thomas,  were  too  impulsive  to  be 
relied  upon ;  John  and  James  a  shade  too  presump- 
tuous. He  must  follow  now.  "  Leave  all  that  thou 
hast  and  follow  Me,"  had  been  the  command;  he 
would  indeed  follow.  All  he  possessed,  each  rare 
garment  and  costly  jewel,  had  been  laid  aside,  and 
Lazarus  even  now  was  clad  in  the  simple  white  gar- 

291 


2Q2  LAZARUS. 

ments  worn  by  the  poorer  classes.  All  he  possessed? 
His  dearest  possession  was  the  heart  of  the  Magda- 
lene. That,  too,  must  be  resigned,  his  love,  his 
sacrifice  must  be  complete;  and  so,  sorrowfully  and 
with  head  bent,  he  followed  the  little  band. 

The  night  was  heavy  with  the  air  of  tragedy, 
the  earth  alive  with  anticipation.  Their  hearts  were 
sick  with  untold  dread  as  they  passed  out  of  the  city 
gates,  that  in  the  bright  moonlight  stood  sheer  and 
white,  and  down  the  steep  ravine  of  the  Kedron,  a 
river  here,  a  brook  only  where  it  ran  through  the 
Garden  of  Gethsemane.  All  was  bathed  in  moon- 
light, the  river,  the  soft  grass,  the  olive  trees. 
Everywhere  were  soft,  silvery  radiance  and  dark 
shadow,  emblems  of  the  glory  and  the  cross.  At 
every  step,  in  subdued  accents  lest  they  should  be 
heard  by  watching  traitors  or  solitary  passers-by, 
Jesus  comforted  their  souls.  'Verily,  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  that  ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the 
world  shall  rejoice:  and  ye  shall  be  sorrowful,  but 
your  sorrow  shall  be  turned  into  joy.  And  ye  now 
therefore  have  sorrow ;  but  I  will  see  you  again,  and 
your  heart  shall  rejoice,  and  your  joy  no  man  taketh 
from  you.  I  go  away  and  come  again  unto  you.  If 
ye  love  Me  ye  would  rejoice,  because  I  said  I  go 
unto  My  Father."  Then,  as  they  wept,  He  turned 
and  said :  "  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  My  peace  I  give 
unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither 
let  it  be  afraid." 

Each  word  He  spoke  weighed  heavily  on  Lazarus's 
soul.  The  very  beauty  and  unselfishness  of  the 
Christ  enhanced  the  horror  of  not  being  able  to  save 
Him  pain — Him,  so  thoughtful  for  others,  even  in 


LAZARUS.  293 

this  terrible  moment.  No,  it  was  not  life  that 
Lazarus  desired  for  Him ;  no  one  having  once  cast 
off  the  flesh  could  ever  wish  that  again  for  any 
whom  he  loved.  It  was  not,  therefore,  the  Mes- 
siah's life  that  he  would  save;  but  he  would  save 
Him,  if  he  could,  from  the  insults,  the  smarting 
taunts,  that  lay  before  Him.  Lazarus  knew  them, 
these  vulgar  self-sufficient  Orientals,  who  fawned  on 
those  in  power,  and  crushed  into  the  mud  those  who 
failed  or  seemed  to  fail.  Every  item  of  the  Jewish 
character  was  familiar  to  him,  its  extraordinary  en- 
thusiasm, its  worship  of  "  the  rising  sun,"  its  brutal, 
illimitable  cruelty  to  the  down-trodden,  its  contempt 
of  the  weak.  No  depth  of  horror,  no  abyss  of 
shame,  no  stretch  of  coarse  invective,  no  extremity 
of  pain  would  be  spared  the  Son  of  God  if  He  should 
fall  into  the  hands  of  Caiaphas.  The  triumph  would 
drive  the  Pharisees  mad.  Already  the  multitudes 
were  deserting  Him.  They  held  aloof  for  fear  of 
future  loss  of  position,  should  the  Nazarene  be  con- 
demned. For  himself  Lazarus  thought  nothing; 
how  can  one  live  and  die  and  live  again,  and  count 
life  or  death  as  aught  ? 

The  distant  murmur  of  Jerusalem  was  fading  into 
a  faint  hum  of  nightly  stirrings.  Only  the  leaves 
rustled.  A  great  despondency  seized  their  hearts, 
a  horrible  foretaste  of  loneliness  at  the  departure  of 
the  Christ.  How  could  they  live  alone,  these  men 
whose  rising  and  down-sitting  had  been  spent  with 
Him  !  To  go  back  into  the  cold,  callous,  Jewish 
life,  to  be  taunted  with  the  reproach  of  failure,  and 
unable  to  refute  it !  To  be  asked  for  living  truths, 
and  have  naught  to  give  in  reply  but  memories  that 


294  LAZARUS. 

would  daily  fade,  until  they  should  become  a 
dream !  What  would  remain  of  all  this  teaching  ? 
A  tale  of  some  miracles,  the  story  of  a  shameful 
death,  a  few  trusting  hearts.  What  sign  that  salva- 
tion had  come  to  the  world  ?  Christ  would  have 
spoken  in  vain.  How  could  they  hope  to  persuade 
the  world  when  He  had  failed  ?  The  very  miracles 
would  be  jeered  at,  either  as  lies,  or,  if  they  did 
occur,  as  the  result  of  witchcraft.  What  would  sur- 
vive, or  how  could  they  make  gift  of  the  inward 
burnings  of  their  hearts  ?  As  if  the  Christ  had  heard 
the  searching  of  their  hearts  He  paused  on  the 
greensward  and  spoke : 

"  I  will  pray  to  the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you 
another  Comforter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you  for- 
ever; and  He  shall  bring  all  things  to  your  remem- 
brance, whatsoever  I  have  said.  I  will  not  leave  you 
comfortless:  I  will  come  to  you." 

And,  while  the  disciples  wondered  amongst  them- 
selves, one  said  to  another:  "  He  meaneth  Lazarus, 
He  meaneth  Lazarus." 

But  Lazarus  denied  it  vehemently.  '  Who  am 
I  ?"  he  asked.  "  'T  is  the  Spirit  of  Truth  that 
will  come,  which  the  world  cannot  receive." 

But  the  mournful  journey  was  nearly  at  an  end. 
At  each  step  they  would  have  halted  gladly,  to  hold 
back  the  future,  to  live  again  but  for  a  few  short 
minutes  those  precious  moments  they  were  conscious 
now  they  had  too  little  valued. 

A  God  had  come  and  was  passing  hence,  and  they 
had  only  now  begun  to  know  Him.  How  doubly 
treasured  would  be  the  memory  of  those  days,  now 
that  their  tale  was  almost  ended ! 


LAZARUS.  295 

Then,  with  the  thought  that  the  grief  He  was  to 
bring  upon  them  added  yet  another  sorrow  to  His 
own,  the  Nazarene  stood  still  near  the  entrance  to 
Gethsemane  and,  turning  to  them  in  the  shadow  of 
the  trees,  He  said:  "  All  ye  shall  be  offended  be- 
cause of  Me  this  night ;  for  it  is  written,  I  will  smite 
the  Shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock  shall  be 
scattered  abroad." 

'  What  meaneth  this  ?  "  said  one. 

"  He  is  our  Shepherd,  and  when  they  take  Him 
prisoner  this  night,  maybe  He  thinketh  we  shall 
flee,"  said  the  desponding  Thomas. 

Then    Peter    rushed    towards    Him    crying   out : 
'  Though  all  men  shall  be  offended  because  of  Thee, 
yet  will  I  never  be  offended." 

'  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  that  this  night,  before 
the  cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny  Me  thrice,"  was  the 
sad  reply.  He  believed  in  no  promises,  now  the  end 
had  come. 

But  Peter  cast  himself  at  His  feet.  '  Why  sayest 
Thou  this,  Lord  ?  Though  I  should  die  with  Thee, 
yet  will  I  not  deny  Thee." 

And  all  the  disciples,  raising  their  hands  to 
heaven,  as  if  to  call  the  moon,  the  whole  creation — 
nay,  more,  God  the  Father,  to  witness  what  they 
promised,  cried:  "We  will  die  with  Thee!  We 
will  die  with  Thee!  " 

"  Be  still,"  said  Lazarus.  "  Raise  not  your  voices, 
lest  the  enemy  should  hear  you." 

His  warning,  breathed  on  the  stillness  of  the  night, 
fell  on  their  ears  with  startling  force.  The  hour  was 
indeed  close  at  hand.  Anxiously  they  peered  be- 
tween the  olive  trees,  some  even  dividing  the 


296  LAZARUS. 

branches  of  the  fig  trees  and  the  pomegranates  lest 
a  traitor  should  be  lurking  there.  How  awe-inspir- 
ing and  mysterious  were  the  surroundings,  how 
pregnant  with  agony  was  each  moment  that  came 
and  went ! 

At  the  gate  of  Gethsemane  Jesus  paused  for  a 
moment  and  gave  His  last  command. 

Bear  witness  because  ye  have  been  with  Me  from 
the  beginning."  Then,  while  they  stood  round 
weeping,  He  added,  to  leave  a  little  glimmering  of 
comfort  in  their  souls'  dark  night:  "  After  I  am 
risen,  I  will  go  before  you  into  Galilee." 

So  this  was  the  end,  the  end  of  the  familiar  friend- 
ship, the  inspiring  presence,  the  miraculous  words 
of  teaching  and  of  help.  It  seemed  impossible  that 
one  so  great  could  pass  away  so  simply. 

Then,  when  they  tried  to  follow  Him,  He  turned 
and  said  :  ' '  Sit  ye  here  while  I  go  and  pray  yonder. 

But  they  made  an  impetuous  movement  to  follow 
Him.  Then  Lazarus  said:  "  We  must  needs  watch, 
or,  maybe,  He  will  not  even  have  time  to  pray." 

Then,  when  Jesus  saw  the  distress  of  the  warm- 
hearted Peter  and  James  and  John,  He  bade  them 
come  with  Him;  and,  with  one  human  cry  for 
sympathy,  He  said:  "  My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrow- 
ful, even  unto  death :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch  with 
Me." 

Who  can  dare  to  dwell  on  that  great  agony  and 
live.  The  agony  of  God  brought  low.  The  haunt- 
ing fear  of  His  humanity  that  at  the  last  His  strength 
might  fail!  Oh,  ye  who  scoff  at  this  one  moment 
of  weakness  and  in  those  two  cries — "  My  God,  My 
God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  Me  ? "  and,  "  Father, 


LAZARUS.  297 

if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  Me  " — and 
would  see  in  it  the  proof  that  He  was  not  the  Christ, 
have  ye  ever  thought  that  in  this  cry  was  all  the 
glory  ?  Very  man  of  very  man,  a  man  to  hope,  a 
man  to  fear,  a  man  to  pray,  a  man  weighted  with 
the  sins,  not  of  Himself,  but  of  the  world.  To  die, 
not  like  a  warrior  on  the  battle-field,  but  an  igno- 
minious death  of  abiding  torture,  a  death  so  unde- 
served, that  it  might  well  wring  out  the  piteous  cry 
that  seemed  to  pierce  the  heavens  and  penetrate  the 
radiant  hills  beyond,  and  onward  to  the  throne  of 
God.  A  prayer  that  the  power  of  sin  might  be  sus- 
pended without  this  awful  sacrifice ;  that  the  sword 
of  Satan  might  be  sheathed  before  it  slew,  before 
the  last  foul  crime  of  His  death  should  stamp  the 
world  with  infamy  for  ever. 

Then,  as  though  His  agony  were  such  that  prayer 
could  no  longer  pass  His  lips,  He  sought  His  three 
disciples. 

Asleep,  asleep,  His  own  familiar  friends.  The 
one,  too,  who  had  promised  so  much — asleep,  dream- 
ing contentedly,  in  calm  unconsciousness  of  the 
anguished  soul-throbs  of  the  Christ  who  knelt  in 
agony  with  head  bowed  to  the  ground,  breathing 
entreaties  in  blood-washed  murmurs  to  the  sky. 
Who  can  even  picture  to  himself  such  solitude — a 
man  alone — a  God  deserted! 

Yet,  at  His  approach  they  sprang  to  their  feet, 
confused  still,  knowing  not  whether  it  was  their 
Lord  who  called,  or  that  an  enemy  was  near. 

"Could  ye  not  watch  with  Me  one  hour?" 
Strange  fortitude  this,  with  which  to  face  the  world 
hereafter!  "  Watch/  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not 


298  LAZARUS. 

into  temptation :  the  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the 
flesh  is  weak. 

No  word  of  His  own  agony.  What  matter  who 
saw  or  saw  not,  if  it  behoved  the  Christ  to  die  ? 
But  for  them,  how  could  they  withstand  with  such 
short-lived  ardour  ? 

But  His  own  heart  was  full  of  heaviness,  and  no 
comfort  came.  Was  this  perchance  the  answer  ? 
As  they  slept,  oblivious,  callous,  so  heaven  seemed 
for  one  moment  motionless,  unanswering. 

Alone,  alone,  in  that  great  garden  of  solitude, 
treading  the  winepress  alone,  quaffing  the  fiery  cup 
to  the  last  scalding  drop,  the  cup  that  none  else 
would  taste,  yet  that  He  must  drain  to  the  very 
dregs.  No  way  out,  no  way  out,  but  through  that 
cross,  if  men  were  to  be  saved,  and  apparently  how 
little  they  were  worth  the  saving.  The  silence  and 
the  night  only  seemed  to  answer:  "  Thou  must 
drink  it  and  alone."  And,  bowing  His  sacred  head 
once  more,  He  prayed  in  meek  obedience:  "  If  this 
cup  may  not  pass  away  from  Me,  except  I  drink  it, 
Thy  will  be  done." 

And  once  more  He  came  to  see  whether  any 
watched  with  Him;  and  once  more  He  found  them 
fast  asleep. 

Still  silence  only  for  an  answer. 

"  None  will  drink  it  for  Thee,  none  will  help. 
Thou  must  drink  it  and  alone;  "  and  once  more  He 
prayed:  "  Thy  will  be  done."  And  as  He  bowed 
His  head  to  the  ground,  His  forehead  struck  a  stone 
and  drops  of  blood  fell  from  His  forehead. 

Then  He  came  to  them  again  and  gazed  with  pity 
on  their  sleeping  faces. 


LAZARUS.  299 

"  Sleep  on  now,  and  take  your  rest:  behold,  the 
hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed  into 
the  hands  of  sinners." 

The  moment  in  which  humanity  had  cried  out  for 
sympathy  had  passed,  when  human  sympathy, 
human  gratitude,  might  have  solaced  anguish,  when 
united  prayer  might  have  brought  consolation.  The 
temptation  was  over ;  the  temptation  to  escape  by 
the  power  of  His  Godhead  a  degrading  death.  Their 
silence  had  been  His  answer.  Henceforth  there 
would  be  no  hesitation,  the  flesh  was  conquered, 
now  't  was  His  joy  to  die.  The  insults  and  jeers  of 
high  priests  and  publicans  alike,  the  taunts  and 
gibes  of  a  whole  nation  would  never  again  make 
manifest  that  bleeding  of  the  soul.  No  pain,  no 
thirst,  no  glaring  noon-day  sun,  no  prison  chains, 
or  smitings  of  dirty,  sin-stained  hands  would  bring 
one  cry.  Like  a  sheep  before  its  shearers  He  would 
be  dumb. 

The  new  prayer  would  be,  "  Let  not  this  cup  pass 
from  Me.  Fill  it  to  the  brim,  if  so  be  Thy  will,  O 
God,  that  the  salvation  of  this  people  be  full  and 
free  and  perfect,  wide  as  the  rivers,  high  as  the 
mountains.  The  fulness  of  the  sacrifice  shall  be 
perfect.  Humanity  is  dead  for  ever  in  Me.  I  live 
now  but  to  die." 

There  was  no  flinching  in  His  next  words,  no  fear, 
no  echo  of  His  awful  agony.  "  He  is  at  hand  that 
doth  betray  Me." 

For  some  time  the  disciples  at  the  gate  had 
watched  with  uneasiness  a  little  line  of  uneven 
lights,  that  twinkled  hither  and  thither  on  the  road, 
along  which  they  had  come  but  two  hours  before. 


300  LAZARUS. 

Yet  surely  so  many  would  not  come  to  seize  so 
gentle  a  prisoner.  Was  it  not  rather,  Lazarus 
hoped,  the  little  company  of  believing  Jews,  who 
came  to  seek  their  Lord  ? 

'  Judas  !  "     The    name  was    more    hissed   than 
spoken  by  the  little  band. 

Judas, — Judas  leading  a  mixed  band  of  soldiers, 
borrowed  from  the  precincts  of  the  Temple,  of  Jews 
and  Sadducees,  of  servants  and  centurions!  The 
clanking  of  swords,  the  steady  tread  of  men  dis- 
ciplined to  march  in  unison,  lights,  suppressed 
words  of  command,  and  the  red  glare  of  Roman 
lanterns  paling  in  the  blue  radiance  of  the  moon ;  all 
these  approached.  What,  then,  did  Judas  dread 
that  he  should  bring  so  many  demons  with  him  ? 
Surely  a  legion  of  devils  ?  The  moments  now  were 
precipitating  themselves  one  upon  another.  The 
air  seemed  peopled  with  spiritual  elements,  that 
warred,  yet  remained  unseen.  A  strange  light, 
brighter  than  the  moon,  seemed  to  irradiate  from 
the  Messiah,  and  to  make  His  figure  the  centre-piece 
of  the  glorious  picture. 

Then  hurriedly,  as  though  possessed  with  a  demon 
of  haste  that  spurred  him  on  to  his  destruction, 
Judas  bent  forward  and  kissed  on  His  pure  brow  the 
Friend,  the  Man,  the  God. 

"  Hail,  Master  !  " 

Forgetful  of  Himself,  forgetful  of  those  around 
Him,  even  then  the  gentle  Saviour  sought  to  breathe 
into  this  man,  whom  He  had  loved,  some  remorse 
that  would  bring  about  repentance. 

"  Friend,"  He  said,  raising  His  pure  eyes  in 
deepest  grief  and  pity — "  Friend,  wherefore  art  thou 


LAZARUS.  301 

come  ?  Betrayest  thou  the  Son  of  man  with  a 
kiss  ?" 

It  was  as  though  He  said:  "  Thou  wast  My 
friend,  thou  who  comest  for  a  crime,  canst  thou  yet 
kiss  Me  ?  Of  a  truth  such  treachery  is  past  concep- 
tion. Ah,  surely,  't  is  only  the  Son  of  man  thou 
thinkest  to  deceive.  Thou  canst  not  hope  thus  to 
cheat  thy  God." 

But  the  traitor's  work  was  over,  the  work  that 
seemed  but  the  spawn  of  madness  now.  All  that 
he  had  undertaken  he  had  accomplished,  and  he  fell 
back  into  the  darkness;  his  brain  reeled,  and  his 
heart  seemed  to  swell  within  him  as  though  bursting 
with  the  sudden  revelation  of  that  which  he  had 
done. 

He  had  betrayed  the  Lord,  betrayed  his  Christ, 
his  Friend — for  what  ?  For  thirty  pieces  of  silver! 
But  thirty  thousand  could  not  bring  back  for  him 
eternal  life !  Eternal  death,  that  was  all  that  loomed 
before  him.  Oh,  why,  why  had  they  urged  him  on 
to  perpetrate  this  awful  deed  ?  Of  a  truth  they  had 
been  keen  in  intuition  who  thus  had  singled  out  the 
vilest,  weakest  heart  in  all  Judaea  to  do  this  thing. 

Lost,  lost,  lost,  in  this  world  and  the  next! 
Through  greed  and  avarice,  the  leading  instinct  and 
the  most  cursed  attribute  of  the  Jews ;  that  love  of 
gain  that  swamps  all  noble  thoughts,  sucking  as  it 
were  into  a  whirlpool  of  fetid  water  all  that  is  great 
and  good,  stifling  each  exalted  aspiration. 

Meekly,  with  that  noble  gait  with  which  none 
other  could  compare,  with  quiet  dignity  and  with  no 
trace  of  fear,  Jesus  stepped  forward. 

"  Whom  seek  ye  ?  "  He  asked  of  the  commander 


302  LAZARUS. 

of  the  soldiers,  who  stood  with  swords  drawn,  but 
turned  downwards  to  the  ground. 

'  Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  replied  their  chief.  In 
truth,  he  knew  not  what  to  call  this  man  whom  each 
named  differently,  and  who  called  Himself  the  Son 
of  God. 

Far  away  in  their  back  ranks,  the  Nazarene  could 
see  the  face  of  Judas  peering  through  the  gloom. 

"  I  am  He,"  He  said,  and,  as  the  words  of  truth 
unadorned  fell  on  the  chilly  stillness,  a  cry  rose  from 
the  lips  of  Judas: 

"  'T  is  He,  't  is  He !  "  But  to  the  souls  of  those 
around  him  he  seemed  to  say,  "  'T  is  God,  't  is 
God  " ;  and,  like  one  on  whom  some  sudden,  blind- 
ing light  is  flashed,  the  group  fell  back  before  the 
God-like  majesty  of  that  fearless  presence. 

Iscariot,  poor  fool,  had  warned  them  to  come 
with  staves  and  swords  and  spears  and  to  use  force 
against  Him;  but  this  Man  made  no  attempt  either 
to  escape  or  to  oppose  them,  though  all  knew  full 
well  that  He  had  done  nothing  worthy  of  death. 

Then,  when  the  men  fell  back,  one  of  the  disciples 
cried  out:  "  Let  us  flee;  they  are  afraid." 

But  flight  was  impossible  to  the  true,  brave 
nature ;  the  cup  was  being  emptied,  slowly  and 
surely;  the  bitterest  dregs  were  yet  to  come,  but 
He  would  drain  it. 

Once  more  He  approached  the  startled  band,  and 
His  very  presence  seemed  to  strike  their  souls  with 
terror.  Again  He  asked:  "  Whom  seek  ye  ?  " 

And  again  they  answered:  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth," 
and  in  their  hushed  voices  was  a  tone  that  seemed 
to  mean :  "  We  sought  a  man,  we  find  a  God." 


LAZARUS.  303 

Then,  lest  the  fulness  of  their  wrath  should  fall 
upon  the  little  band  of  His  disciples,  He  pleaded 
for  their  liberty : 

"  If  therefore  ye  seek  Me,  let  these  go  their  way." 

The  great  sinewy  hands  were  laid  upon  His  shoul- 
ders that  had  still  to  bear  so  much.  Fiercely,  un- 
necessarily, they  pulled  Him  hither  and  thither, 
shaking  and  pressing  Him  who  wished  but  to  obey. 

He  was  their  prisoner  now.  The  final  act  of  the 
world's  great  tragedy  was  still  to  be  accomplished; 
the  foulest  depths  of  man's  iniquity  to  be  plumbed, 
and  the  full  measure  of  the  blasphemy  to  be  re- 
vealed. Their  prisoner,  He  who  had  been  daily 
amongst  them,  in  the  Temple,  on  the  mountains, 
by  the  seashore ! 

Then  Peter,  unable  any  longer  to  bear  the  strain, 
impetuous,  hasty,  longing  to  wipe  out  his  careless- 
ness and  sleep,  cried  out:  "  Lord,  shall  we  smite 
with  the  sword  ?  " 

And,  without  waiting  for  an  answer,  he  seized  his 
sword,  and  cut  off  the  ear  of  Malchus,  who,  besides 
being  in  the  service  of  Caiaphas,  was  his  kinsman. 

As  usual,  Peter  had  committed  an  act  that  would 
suffice  only  to  incense  still  more  the  party  of  Caia- 
phas against  the  Christ.  A  spasm  of  pain  crossed  the 
face  of  Jesus.  This  was  no  time  for  wrath,  or  cavil- 
ling, or  pitting  strength  against  strength.  It  was  a 
time  when  only  truth  and  meekness  could  prevail,  if 
aught  could  prevail  against  the  prince  of  this  world 
and  those  urged  on  by  him.  But  He  could  nullify 
this  foolish  action.  With  infinite  gentleness  He 
touched  the  ear  and  it  was  healed. 

"  Suffer  me  thus  far,"  He  said.     Then,  turning 


304  LAZARUS. 

to  Peter,  He  continued,  "  Put  up  again  thy  sword 
into  its  place :  for  all  they  that  take  the  sword  shall 
perish  with  the  sword.  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot 
now  pray  to  My  Father,  and  He  shall  presently  give 
Me  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels  ?  But  how 
then  shall  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it 
must  be  ?  " 

Poor  foolish  Peter,  where,  indeed,  was  thy  faith, 
if  thou  didst  think  to  protect  the  King  of  kings  with 
thy  feeble  hand  ? 

But  the  hour  was  wearing  on.  These  miracles  and 
incidents  were  beginning  to  influence  the  little 
crowd ;  the  officers  must  allow  no  superstitious 
fears  to  animate  them ;  they  must  perform  their 
duty.  This  Man  needed  no  binding  and  no  force, 
but  the  law  must  be  obeyed  ;  that  grinding  millstone 
that  for  so  many  years  had  pounded  and  ground 
down  the  brains  and  hearts  of  man,  till  they  had 
become  but  a  mingled  dust  of  foulness  and  evil  and 
severity,  a  very  powder  of  Satan's  own  compounding. 

So  His  sacred  hands  were  bound  and  tied  behind 
His  back,  and  chains  were  set  round  Him  who  in 
one  brief  moment  could  have  burst  them  all,  if  so 
He  would.  What  scorn  in  the  words  He  addressed 
to  them  while  their  clumsy  fingers  fumbled  with 
cord  and  band!  Yet  in  their  fear  lest  He  should 
escape  what  homage  to  His  power! 

"  Are  ye  come  out  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords 
and  staves,  for  to  take  Me  ? " 

But  to  their  hearts  He  seemed  to  say:  "  Are  ye 
too  blind  to  see  the  difference  between  an  evil-doer, 
who  would  escape  death,  and  one  wholly  good,  who 
seeks  to  die  ? ' ' 


LAZARUS.  3O5 

Then,  in  the  darkness  they  bore  Him  away,  across 
the  little  brook  and  up  the  hill  that,  but  a  few  hours 
before,  He  had  trodden  as  a  free  man  indeed,  though 
with  a  sickening  agony  in  His  pure  heart.  Then  a 
little  band  of  friends  had  been  about  Him;  now 
when  He  gazed  round  the  multitude,  He  caught  no 
responding  look,  no  friendly  glance,  for  all  His  loved 
disciples  had  forsaken  Him  and  fled.  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God,  the  Saviour,  the  Messiah,  was  alone; 
bereft  of  friends;  for  the  stern  countenances  that 
the  winter  moon  lit  up  were  those  of  foes. 

Alone !  Alone !  Yet  not  quite,  for  one  was  there 
who  had  himself  passed  through  the  agony  of  death, 
who  loved  Him  with  a  reverent,  enduring  love  and 
would  never  desert  Him.  Afraid  to  come  near 
Him,  lest  the  crowd  should  fear  some  miracle,  or 
lest  by  death  He  should  be  separated  from  Jesus  at 
the  supreme  moment  of  His  yielding  up  His  life, 
yet  with  a  heart  that  yearned  to  comfort,  Lazarus 
mingled  with  the  crowd.  But  the  spirit  of  persecu- 
tion was  abroad.  The  stream  of  man's  evil  might 
run  its  course  to-night  at  will.  Cries  rose:  "  'T  is 
Lazarus ;  perchance  he  followeth  to  let  this  Man  go. 
Let  him,  too,  be  taken  to  Annas,  for  he  is  a  follower 
of  this  Man  :  and,  if  he  hath  not  fled,  't  is  that  some 
mischief  breweth.  Bind  him!  Bind  him!  " 

"  Slay  him !  Slay  him !  "  cried  the  multitude,  and 
some  of  the  soldiers  crowded  round  him  and  tried  to 
take  him  prisoner.  One  man  even  caught  hold  of 
his  linen  robe;  but  Lazarus,  with  a  twist  of  his 
body,  slipped  downwards  out  of  his  garment  and 
fled  away  in  the  darkness.  Better  so,  than  die  while 
the  Lord  had  need  of  him.  And  all  the  multitude 


306  LAZARUS. 

cried  out :  '  'T  is  yet  another  miracle.  This  man 
shall  never  die." 

And  so  they  entered  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  the 
band  of  soldiers  swollen  to  a  dense  mass  of  followers, 
so  that  it  seemed  that  all  the  city  had  assembled  to 
see  the  Saviour  die. 

But  the  divine  figure  in  the  midst  said  never  a 
word,  uttered  no  cry  or  murmur;  and  the  moon 
looked  on  coldly,  nor  veiled  her  face.  No  thunder, 
no  great  lights  from  heaven,  no  angels  ascending 
and  descending,  no  earthquakes,  no  falling  down  of 
great  mountains,  no  sudden  striking  of  men  to  death, 
proclaimed  to  the  world  that  this  Man  was  different 
from  any  other,  or  that  the  Son  of  God  would  die. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

IT  could  not  be  supposed  that  souls  such  as  those 
of  Caiaphas  and  Annas,  souls  that  Satan's  poison 
had  turned  dark  and  foul  forever,  could  achieve  so 
great  a  triumph  as  the  capture  of  the  Nazarene, 
without  tasting  to  the  full  the  sweets  of  conquest. 
To  taunt,  to  scoff,  to  jeer  at  those  who  are  down, 
was  ever  the  Jewish  character;  for,  as  no  minds 
have  greater  genius  than  have  those  belonging  to 
that  race,  so  no  hearts  can  conceive  greater  bitter- 
ness and  craft,  and  wound  so  cruelly.  To  Annas 
first,  then  to  Caiaphas,  lastly,  before  the  Sanhedrim, 
the  Saviour  would  have  to  go.  A  threefold  agony 
must  surely  win  a  threefold  glory.  Caiaphas  had 
reasons  of  his  own  for  not  having  Him  brought 
straight  to  him. 

"  Whither  take  ye  Him  ?  "  asked  one  after  another 
of  the  multitude. 

"  To  Annas  first,  and  then  to  Caiaphas,"  replied 
the  soldier,  in  a  voice  that  forbade  further  ques- 
tioning. 

To  Annas,  whose  link  with  the  Pharisees  lay 
shivered  to  bits;  Annas,  who  disregarded  Sanhe- 
drim and  chief  priests  alike,  but  who,  through  machi- 
nations and  low  intrigue,  had  gained  possession  of 
all  the  secrets  of  the  Jewish  world ;  who,  in  his  old 
age,  cared  neither  for  deposition  from  nor  accession 

307 


308  LAZARUS. 

to  power,  while  he  held  those  vital  secrets,  like 
swords,  over  the  heads  of  half  the  rulers  of  Judaea. 
He  had  promised  to  counsel  Caiaphas  how  to  pro- 
ceed with  this  Nazarene.  By  base  jobbery  he  had 
succeeded  in  turning  even  political  events  to  his 
account.  By  playing  upon  their  greed  he  had 
pressed  into  his  service  all  those  who  could  be  bribed 
and  otherwise  corrupted,  and  they  were  not  a  few. 
But,  to  possess  this  power,  a  man  must  needs  have 
money.  Accordingly  he  levied  tithes  in  secret  on 
all  Judaea. 

Usurers,  money-changers,  sellers  of  doves,  all  these 
privily  sent  their  contributions,  that  went  to  swell 
the  bursting  hoards  of  this  ex-High  Priest.  And  it 
was  this  Nazarene  who  had  inveighed  against  these 
men —  '  Woe  unto  you,  usurers!  "—who  had  upset 
the  tables  of  the  money-changers,  and  opened  the 
cages  of  them  that  sold  doves  to  let  them  soar  up- 
wards to  heaven.  Needs  must  that  Annas  should 
see  this  Man,  to  find  out  how  much  He  knew;  for  if 
He  were  to  come  before  Pilate  and  to  divulge  these 
things,  the  reign  of  Annas  and  of  his  viperous  brood 
would  surely  come  quickly  to  an  end. 

The  great  gates  were  swung  back,  while  soldiers, 
holding  their  lances  in  front  of  them,  with  both 
hands  thrust  back  the  crowd  that  strove  to  force 
itself  into  the  very  courts  of  the  High  Priest's  house. 
But  Peter,  only,  of  the  disciples,  succeeded  in  press- 
ing in. 

'  This  is  no  time,  "  cried  the  servants  of  Annas, 
"  to  enter  this  house;  in  the  morning  ye  shall  see 
the  prisoner  at  the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrim." 

"  This  is  no  hour  for  trial,"  cried  the  populace. 


LAZARUS.  309 

"  The  trial  will  be  to-morrow ;  no  man  is  con- 
demned unheard,"  rejoined  the  soldiers,  obeying 
orders  in  speaking  thus,  and  fearing  a  disturbance. 
"  No  man  is  condemned  in  Jerusalem  unheard," 
they  repeated;  "  and  for  mercy's  sake  we  brought 
Him  first  to  Annas,  for  perchance  he  will  set  Him 
free." 

"  Annas,  Annas,  't  is  indeed  the  merciful,"  cried 
the  crowd  derisively,  making  a  play  on  the  meaning 
of  his  name.  Then  closing  doors  pressed  out  the 
lingering  bystanders,  shut  out  the  night  and  the 
free,  fresh  air,  and  every  living  witness  of  the  Naza- 
rene's  arrest,  for  Peter  had  joined  the  servants  in  the 
offices  of  the  palace.  Alone  Jesus  appeared  before 
Annas,  but  for  the  guard  that  attended  Him. 

Perhaps  the  old  man  hovering  on  the  confines  of 
life  and  death,  with  keener  memory  of  prophecy, 
with  greater  crimes  upon  his  head  than  had  any 
other  ruler,  face  to  face  at  last  with  the  majestic 
presence  he  had  barely  seen  as  it  had  wandered 
through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  and  up  and  down 
the  mountains,  proclaiming  upon  earth  its  mission, 
felt  a  slight  quivering,  a  fleeting  terror  lest  events 
stupendous  should  befall.  The  sublime  countenance 
of  the  Nazarene,  that  like  a  sunbeam  had  shone  on 
earth  for  thirty  years,  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  the 
silence  inside  his  palace,  the  dull  roar  of  the  voices 
of  the  populace  without — all  these  had  their  effect 
on  the  old  man,  who,  like  all  the  Jews,  was  not 
without  his  superstitions  and  belief  in  the  super- 
natural. He  had  long  desired  to  interrogate  this 
Man,  who,  for  three  years  had  convulsed  Jerusalem 
with  His  miracles  and  teachings;  who,  till  now,  had 


3IO  LAZARUS. 

kept  persecutions  and  condemnation  and  captivity 
at  bay ;  and  not  by  wiles,  or  power,  or  interest,  but 
by  the  intensity  of  His  earnestness,  by  the  manifes- 
tation of  His  surpassing  love. 

Like  bolts  of  fire  launched  from  the  midday  sun, 
the  glances  flashed  from  the  eyes  of  Jesus  on  the 
little,  shrivelled  Jew,  perished  and  bent  more  from 
his  own  iniquities  than  from  age.  A  charred  soul 
stunted  and  consumed  by  its  own  inward  fires. 
What  a  blissful  opportunity  was  this  to  spue  forth, 
toad-like,  all  his  venom  upon  this  diamond  purity 
that  by  its  very  existence  condemned ! 

"  Are  they  all  without  ?  "  he  asked  the  guard. 

"All  save  one,"  replied  the  man;  "  and  he  is  kept 
in  vigilance  below,  for  he  did  smite  the  right  ear 
from  Malchus. " 

"  One  of  Thy  disciples  did  this  thing  ?  "  asked 
Annas  of  the  Nazarene,  glad  of  an  excuse  for  the 
malice  that  was  in  his  heart. 

But  Jesus  made  no  answer;  yet  the  patient  gaze 
He  turned  on  the  rough  soldier  appealed  to  him  with 
all  the  force  of  a  command  to  tell  Annas  the  truth 
of  what  had  happened. 

"  Yet,"  he  interposed,  "  this  Man  did  heal  the 
ear,  like  as  the  other,  by  His  touch,  while  we  stood 
and  laid  our  hands  upon  Him." 

But  the  merciful  words  fell  on  merciless  ears.  The 
old  man  made  as  if  he  had  not  heard,  and,  turning 
to  the  Christ,  who  stood  there  weary  with  the  night's 
events  and  agony,  he  said  to  Him:  "Who  art 
Thou  ?" 

But  still  Jesus  answered  not  a  word. 

Taking  no  note  of  this  silence,  Annas  went  on : 


LAZARUS.  311 

"  And  who  are  they  that  follow  Thee  hither 
and  thither,  yet  in  Thine  hour  of  need  desert 
Thee  ?" 

A  spasm  of  grief  overshadowed  the  face  for  one 
instant,  then  passed  away. 

The  priest  asked  again:  "  What  are  these  doc- 
trines that  Thou  teachest ;  these  tales  of  miracles, 
this  comradeship  with  poor  and  sinner  ?  Where 
hast  Thou  learned  them  ?  Whence  art  Thou  ?  " 

But  still  the  Nazarene  said  nothing,  gazing  up- 
wards, as  though  in  prayer,  for  strength  to  drink  the 
cup.  Of  what  avail  to  answer  with  words  of  truth 
creatures  whose  only  cleverness  lay  in  planning  and 
detecting  lies  ?  The  occasion  was  too  sacred,  the 
minutes  for  prayer  too  precious,  the  attempt  to 
argue  would  but  provoke  words  of  greater  sin. 

'  Wilt  Thou  not  speak  to  me  ?"  cried  Annas, 
presently,  infuriated.  '  Wilt  Thou  defy  me  by 
Thy  silence,  or  art  Thou  afraid  ?" 

And  one  of  the  soldiers  shook  Him  roughly  and 
said:  "  Speak,  answer  the  priest  or  't  will  be  the 
worse  for  Thee." 

Then,  lifting  His  great,  angelic  eyes,  pure  as  a 
holy  child's,  deep  with  the  wisdom  and  the  truth  of 
ages,  the  Nazarene  prepared  to  raise  that  voice 
which  would  ring  for  evermore  in  the  old  man's  ears. 
With  scorn  it  rang  out  now,  with  pity  it  would  re- 
turn to  him  on  his  death-bed ;  and  in  the  far,  dark 
distances  of  hell  that  voice  would  ring,  in  accom- 
paniment to  his  despair,  the  words,  "  Too  late,  too 
late!  " 

'  Wilt  Thou  not  speak  ?  Then,  after  all,  Thou  art 
a  coward,"  snarled  Annas,  some  faint  glimmering  in 


312  LAZARUS. 

his  narrow  mind  teaching  him  the  words  to  use  that 
most  would  wound  the  Man  whom  all  Judaea  knew 
feared  nothing. 

But  no  answering,  wrathful  cry  responded  to  this 
taunt.  Slowly  the  Nazarene  raised  His  eyes  and  let 
them  fall  upon  the  little,  cringing  priest. 

"  I  spake  only  to  the  world;  I  even  taught  in  the 
Synagogue  and  in  the  Temple  whither  the  Jews 
always  resort;  and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing. 
Why  askest  thou  Me  ?  Ask  them  which  heard  Me 
what  I  have  said  unto  them ;  behold  they  know  what 
I  said." 

Each  word  lashed  the  ignominious  heart  of  Annas 
as  with  whip-cords.  Yes,  it  was  late  in  the  day  to 
ask  this  young  rabbi,  after  three  years  of  ministry, 
what  were  His  doctrines.  Was  it  not  for  those  very 
doctrines  that  He  stood  there  ?  His  words  un- 
earthed, as  with  a  pickaxe,  and  laid  bare  the  schem- 
ing, lying,  malicious  stirring  of  the  old  priest's 
heart.  He  shivered,  as  he  might  shiver  were  his 
body  lying  exposed  and  naked  beneath  thewinter's 
moon. 

A  blow,  a  stinging  blow,  fell  on  the  pale,  meek 
face.  Surely  it  could  not  be  that  a  man  could 
strike  the  Lord  and  live  !  The  cup  was  filling 
quickly,  salt  and  vinegar  taking  the  place  of  wine. 
Strength,  oh,  strength  to  drink  it ;  but  never  a  cry 
or  a  word. 

"  Answerest  Thou  the  High  Priest  so  ?  Thou 

Galilean,  Thou  son  of  "  His  words  were 

checked,  he  knew  not  how  or  why,  but  it  seemed  as 
though  his  tongue  lay  paralysed. 

Once  more  the  gentle  voice  was  raised :  "If  I  have 


LAZARUS.  313 

spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil;  but  if  well, 
why  smitest  thou  Me  ?  " 

It  was  long  past  midnight,  and  Caiaphas  was  wait- 
ing ;  but  Annas  was  loath  to  let  the  Christ  depart 
without  having  wrung  from  Him  any  self-convicting 
words.  This  in  itself  was  a  defeat  to  one  who  knew 
so  well  the  phases  of  success. 

'T  is  useless  to  sit  all  night  with  a  dumb,  obsti- 
nate madman,"  exclaimed  Annas.  "  Lead  Him  to 
Caiaphas  and  tell  him  from  me  that  he  need  fear  no 
more  that  the  lying  preaching  of  this  Man  shall  de- 
ceive the  nations,  for  that  His  tongue  doth  now  re- 
fuse its  office." 

So  once  more  the  weary  figure  was  moved  away, 
still  bound ;  and  all  through  the  night  Annas  sat  on, 
wondering  strangely ;  and  no  man  durst  come  near 
him  to  ask  him  what  he  thought.  And  when  Jesus 
passed  out  into  the  courtyard  to  be  led  to  Caiaphas, 
the  people  who  had  remained  outside  pressed  against 
the  gate,  and  seeing  armed  men  and  lanterns  and 
the  quiet  figure  they  all  knew  so  well,  they  cried  out 
with  a  great  cry  that  reached  the  ears  of  Annas  in 
his  chamber:  "  Shall  He  die  ?  Shall  He  die  ?  " 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

ROUND  a  blazing  fire  in  the  big  hall  leading  into 
the  court-yard  sat  the  servants  of  Annas ;  for 
part  of  the  daily  scheme  of  Annas' s  career  of  hypo- 
crisy was  to  be  generous  to  his  retainers.  There 
were  too  many  secrets  hidden  in  the  dark  corners  of 
his  house  for  Annas  to  be  able  to  neglect  or  quarrel 
with  his  servants. 

'  The  good,  the  merciful  Annas." 

Thus  spoke  the  house-servants  of  the  much-hated 
High  Priest.  Of  his  own  gold  he  had  built  a  wall 
that  shone  and  radiated  upon  him. 

Round  this  fire  the  servants,  men  and  women, 
hewers  of  wood,  fetchers  of  water,  grass-cutters, 
workmen,  and  maidens  congregated  to  discuss  what 
now  had  become  almost  the  only  topic  of  conversa- 
tion amongst  all  classes.  The  excitement  was  in- 
creased by  the  fact  of  the  propinquity  of  the  subject 
of  their  conversation,  wonder  as  to  what  Annas 
would  do,  and  what  the  Nazarene  would  say. 

While  they  talked  and  laughed  and  jested,  one 
figure  sat  gloomily  alone,  warming  his  hands  at  the 
fire,  colder  at  heart  than  outwardly,  cursing  himself 
for  his  impetuosity,  bemoaning  his  temporary  ab- 
sence from  his  Master,  fearing  to  speak,  lest  his 
tongue  should  betray  the  Galilean  dialect,  and  fear- 
ing still  more  the  vengeance  of  the  man  whose  ear 

3M 


LAZARUS.  315 

he  had  struck  off.  While  he  sat  there  his  thoughts 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  wander  back  to  all  the 
words  of  the  Nazarene. 

Why  twice  had  the  Christ  told  him  He  would  deny 
Him  ?  Surely  it  would  only  be  in  the  face  of  some 
terrible  temptation.  What,  then,  so  awful  had  yet 
to  come  to  pass  ?  Or  spake  He  only  of  the  heart 
that  deceiveth  and  denieth  alway  ?  His  eyes  wan- 
dered out  into  the  darkness.  Surely  midnight  was 
long  past.  Yet  no  cock  had  crowed.  Could  it  be 
that  Caiaphas  and  Annas  allowed  them  not  within 
the  precincts,  looking  upon  them  as  unclean  birds  ? 
Yet  in  the  Roman  quarters,  not  so  far  away,  there 
must  be  some ;  and  surely  they  had  crowed  already. 
There  must  be  some  parable  in  his  Master's  speech. 
Would  there  ever  be  an  opportunity  of  asking  Him  ? 

A  serving-woman  paused  while  she  began  to  place 
the  early  morning  meal  on  the  rough  table,  and  eyed 
him  curiously. 

"  Surely  thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  of  Galilee  ?  " 

A  blinding  of  the  senses,  a  terrible  panic,  a  mad- 
ness of  dark  terror.  "  I  know  not  what  thou  mean- 
est." And  he  rose  and  walked  to  the  porch,  fearing 
that  they  would  recognise  him,  should  they  look  him 
in  the  face. 

Then  the  maid  turned  to  the  others.  '  This  fellow 
also  was  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth;  I  myself  opened 
the  gate  to  him.  Wherefore  doth  he  deny  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  what  matter  ?  "  said  one.  "  Leave  him 
in  peace;  the  end  is  near  at  hand." 

"  But  Annas  hath  given  order  that  none  but  this 
fisherman,  whom  he  knoweth,  should  enter,"  said 
the  chief  steward,  referring  to  John;  and  all  the 


316  LAZARUS. 

little  group  gathered  round  the  porch  and  one  said : 
"  Surely  thou  also  art  one  of  them,  for  thy  speech 
betrayeth  thee  ;  a  curse  on  thy  lying  Galilean 
tongue." 

"  I  know  not  what  thou  sayest,"  repeated  Peter; 
and,  when  all  gathered  round  him  curiously,  ready 
with  many  questions,  he  continued  angrily :  "  Cursed 
be  ye  all,  ye  questioning,  prating  fools,  I  tell  ye  I 
know  not  the  Man." 

And,  on  the  chilly  air,  there  rose  from  the  Roman 
quarter  the  shrill  crow  of  a  cock,  announcing  the 
first  hour  of  morning ;  and  a  pang,  that  was  like  a 
death-blast,  shot  straight  to  Peter's  heart. 

There  was  a  noise  of  hurried  footsteps  and  clank- 
ing swords  that  jangled  on  the  pavement,  and  the 
Nazarene  passed  by,  and  while  the  words  rose  on  his 
lips,  "  I  know  not  the  Man,"  the  Saviour  turned 
His  head  and,  with  the  agonised  gaze  of  one  who 
heareth  his  best  friend  betray  him,  He  looked  at 
Peter. 

One  more  drop  of  the  cup  of  bitterness  was  drunk. 

And  Peter,  covering  his  face  with  his  hands, 
rushed  out  into  the  night  to  weep ;  and  again  the 
cock  crew  on  the  stilly  night. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

METHINKS  at  last  I  hold  this  Man,"  said 
Caiaphas,  pacing  his  audience  chamber  to 
calm  a  strange  unrest  that  filled  his  soul. 

In  a  corner  of  the  room  beside  the  window,  looking 
out  with  love-struck  eyes,  gazed  Rebekah,  hearing, 
but  scarce  heeding,  her  father's  words,  for  they 
brought  no  comfort  to  her  unhinged  soul. 

"  He  is  before  Annas  now,  the  proud  Nazarene, 
and  if  there  be  one  who  can  sift  a  man  as  wheat  " — 
here  Caiaphas  made  an  expressive  gesture,  turning 
his  hands  upwards,  as  if  they  were  cups  in  which  he 
sifted  flour  or  grain — ' '  't  is  thy  grandfather  Annas. ' ' 
'  Yet  he  will  find  no  fault  in  Him,"  replied  Re- 
bekah absently  and  perversely.  Why  she  said  the 
words  she  knew  not,  except  that  in  her  heart  a  faint 
loyalty  to  Lazarus  twinkled. 

'  Why  sayest  thou  this  ? ' '  asked  Caiaphas  ex- 
citedly; "  dost  thou  believe  that  He  is  sent  from 
God  ?" 

"  I  believe  nothing;  I  know  nothing,"  said  Re- 
bekah coldly. 

Caiaphas  eyed  her  anxiously.     Woman  has,  at  all 
times,  been  the  one  enigma  no  man  can  solve. 
'  Then  why  speakest  thou  ?  " 
A  sullen  silence ;  then  steps  across  the  court -yard 
below,  and  muttered  voices. 

317 


318  LAZARUS. 

'  They  come,"  said  Caiaphas;  but  in  his  eyes  was 
no  look  of  expectant  triumph,  and  all  his  features 
seemed  contracted  with  some  inexplicable  dread. 
What  if  after  all  He  were  the  Son  of  God  ?  What 
if  He  should  strike  him  dead  by  some  unseen  subtle 
force  ?  Oh,  if  that  daughter  of  his  in  the  corner 
would  but  break  the  silence,  instead  of  sitting  gazing 
in  vacancy  at  the  moon ! 

So  versed  was  he  in  hunting  for  the  dark  spots  of 
vice  in  human  nature,  that  the  few  shining  ones  of 
virtue  escaped  his  view;  thus  he  found  himself 
suspecting  for  an  instant  that  even  his  own  daughter 
might  be  plotting  to  defeat  him. 
'  Jesus  of  Nazareth." 

Wide  open  were  flung  the  doors,  and,  between 
two  soldiers,  the  Nazarene  was  ushered  in.  One 
more  drop  of  anguish  to  be  drunk,  one  step  nearer 
to  the  cross!  The  High  Priest  was  face  to  face,  at 
last,  with  the  Man  he  hated,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
dreaded.  It  was  a  grim  satisfaction  to  see  Him 
bound.  Rebekah,  cold-eyed,  but  curious,  looked 
on  without  a  word. 

Now  the  chamber  was  filling;  elders,  scribes, 
Sadducees,  a  few,  very  few,  Pharisees,  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  council,  filed  in  one  after  another  to  see 
the  triumph  of  their  High  Priest  and  the  degrada- 
tion of  the  Christ.  Strange  men  who  had  been 
hired  to  bear  false  witness,  sycophants,  liars,  usurers, 
lawyers,  a  strange  medley,  jostled  each  other  in  the 
room.  Faint  and  weary,  but  unflinching  still,  the 
Nazarene  stood  with  head  erect.  But  when  Caia- 
phas with  loud  voice  called  out,  "  Ye  who  do  accuse 
this  Man,  come  forward,"  none  answered  to  the  call, 


LAZARUS.  319 

and  to  the  question  put  forth  many  times,  "  What 
hath  this  Man  done  ?  "  no  answer  came. 

Then  Caiaphas  stamped  his  feet  impatiently,  and 
said :  "  Do  ye  mock  at  me ;  to  bid  me  condemn  this 
Man,  and  bring  no  accusation  ?  " 

Two  wretched  men  of  the  lowest  type,  men  who 
had  bought  their  lives  of  Caiaphas,  as  the  price  of 
their  corruption,  came  forward  and  averred:  "  This 
fellow  said,  '  I  am  able  to  destroy  the  Temple  of 
God,  and  to  rebuild  it  in  three  days.'  ' 

But  no  words  came  from  the  lips  of  the  Nazarene ; 
only  He  raised  His  liquid  eyes  to  the  two  men  in 
silent  wonderment  and  reproach ;  and,  abashed, 
they  shrank  back  into  a  dark  niche  in  the  wall.  Then 
Caiaphas,  terrified,  awed,  baffled,  came  one  step 
forward.  "  Answerest  Thou  nothing?"  he  said. 
"  What  is  it  which  these  witness  against  thee  ?  " 

Still  silence  from  the  Nazarene  and  a  strange 
hush  throughout  the  crowded  room.  Then,  over- 
come with  a  great  terror,  fearing  lest  at  any  moment 
the  crowd  itself  should  be  magnetised  into  obeisance 
by  this  strange  meekness,  the  High  Priest  cried  :  "  I 
adjure  Thee  by  the  living  God,  that  Thou  tell  us 
whether  Thou  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God." 

Adjured  by  His  own  self  to  declare  Himself; 
yielding  to  an  appeal  that  through  all  ages  will  be 
answered,  has  been  answered  by  the  living  God,  the 
living  God  gave  answer:  "  Thou  hast  said." 

Then,  half  in  fury,  half  in  fear,  the  High  Priest 
tore  the  clothes  from  off  him,  beginning  at  the 
throat,  as  though  he  stifled.  One,  two,  three,  the 
ephod  lay  in  ribbons  round  his  body.  Never  before 
had  the  High  Priest  been  seen  in  such  a  state  of 


32O  LAZARUS. 

fury,  and  his  frenzy  and  confusion  gave  no  little 
pleasure  to  the  assembled  crowd  of  envious  priests. 

Then,  as  if  to  give  Caiaphas  the  one  last  chance 
that  had  been  offered  Judas — while  eternal  salvation 
hovered  around  the  little  crowd,  and  the  High 
Priest  quaked  with  the  fear  that  some  might  fall  in 
sudden  remorse  and  awakening  at  the  feet  of  Jesus 
— He  spoke  once  more:  "  Hereafter  ye  shall  see  the 
Son  of  man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and 
coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven." 

It  was  as  if,  in  His  all-embracing  mercy,  He  had 
said:  "  Do  not  think  because  ye  see  Me  here  in 
bonds,  a  lonely,  weary  man,  that  it  will  be  always 
thus.  Pause,  pause  and  consider  that,  one  day, 
you  will  all  see  Me  again  in  power,  and  ye  will  re- 
member the  lowly  carpenter  who  appealed  to  you 
in  meekness." 

But  Caiaphas,  perturbed  beyond  endurance,  al- 
most to  madness,  paced  the  room,  tearing  his  clothes 
and  exclaiming  excitedly,  in  order  to  veil  his  per- 
turbation:  "He  hath  spoken  blasphemy;  what 
further  need  have  ye  of  witnesses,  behold,  now  ye 
have  heard  His  blasphemy." 

And  so  the  words  that  Caiaphas  had  yearned  to 
hear  had  been  pronounced  at  last,  and  one  drop 
more  of  the  bitter  cup  had  been  drunk. 

But  something  more  than  the  words  of  the  Naza- 
rene  disturbed  the  equanimity  of  the  High  Priest. 
There  was  an  inexplicable  feeling  in  the  air,  as 
though  the  demons  of  darkness  had  been  let  loose, 
and  the  ghosts  of  supernatural  beings  came  and 
went ;  nor  could  he  decide  whether  it  was  fancy  or 
sensation.  The  hours  seemed  to  have  halted  in 


LAZARUS.  321 

their  course,  and  instead  of  dawn,  a  cold  twilight 
seemed  to  have  settled  on  his  heart  and  brain  for- 
ever. As  in  a  vision,  he  saw  the  Son  of  man  de- 
scending in  the  clouds  with  power.  It  seemed  to 
him  that  the  voice  of  the  God  whom  he  had  pre- 
tended to  represent  on  earth,  but  had  mocked  and 
insulted  by  his  actions,  called  down  a  curse  on  him 
forever.  In  the  twilight  he  seemed  to  see  his  own 
figure  standing  in  eternal  greyness,  groping  between 
rocks,  seeking,  seeking  for  a  light  that  once  had 
flashed  across  his  eyes  and  lain  for  one  instant  on 
his  soul.  A  great  doubt  rose  in  his  heart  when  he 
looked  round  on  those  upturned  faces,  exultant  in 
their  petty  victory,  exultant  at  their  High  Priest's 
hesitation.  Then  over  that  heart,  all  riddled  with 
corruption,  there  stole  a  sombre  pall,  like  the  cloud 
that  settles  over  the  last  pale  ray  of  a  struggling  sun 
and  ends  the  day ;  and  the  decision  that  ranked  him 
as  the  foulest  murderer  on  earth  was  made.  But,  as 
moral  cowards  always  do,  he  needed  comrades  in  his 
crime. 

"  What  think  ye  ?  "  he  cried  at  last  to  the  silent 
crowd;  knowing  full  well  their  answer,  the  only 
answer  they  durst  give,  the  only  answer  his  soul 
craved  for.  And  with  one  voice  rose  on  the  stilly 
night  the  words  "  Ish  maveth!  Ish  maveth!  [A 
man  of  death.]  He  is  guilty  of  death." 

And,  all  the  time,  Rebekah  looked  on  mute,  and 
thought  of  Lazarus. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

OCARCE  had  the  fateful  cry  died  out  on  the  awe- 

0  charged  air,  when  a  scuffle  was  heard  outside, 
steps  rushing  hurriedly  by,  and  cries  as  of  a  madman 
broken  loose. 

A  chill  blast  struck  the  heart  of  Caiaphas.  What, 
if,  after  all,  this  Man  had  followers  at  His  back 
ready  and  able  to  avenge  Him  ?  What  if  there  were 
a  plot  abroad,  if  the  little  room  with  its  group  of 
rulers  and  scribes  and  priests  were  invaded  by  the 
Romans  ? 

The  door  was  flung  open  and,  unannounced,  almost 
unrecognisable,  with  eyes  that  shifted  wildly,  as 
though  the  nerves  had  lost  all  power  of  keeping 
them  in  their  place,  with  hair  dishevelled  and  clothes 
disordered,  and  with  the  grin  of  madness  on  his 
features,  Judas  Iscariot  rushed  in,  holding  aloft  a 
bag.  At  the  sight  of  the  figure  of  the  Nazarene  he 
recoiled,  as  with  a  sudden  memory  of  horror,  but 
the  mind  had  given  way  and  with  difficulty  could 
unfold  the  one  object  of  his  mission. 

In  and  out  of  the  crowd  he  rushed,  holding  up 
his  bag  and  crying  out :  "  Where  is  the  High  Priest, 
where  is  Caiaphas  ?  I  have  sinned,  I  have  sinned, 

1  have  betrayed  the  innocent  blood.     I  would  find 
the  High  Priest  and  give  him  back  his  money. ' '    And 
he  held  up  his  bag  piteously  to  each  one  of  the  priests. 

322 


LAZARUS.  323 

"  What  is  that  to  us  ?  "  said  one.  "  See  thou  to 
that." 

"  Thou  hast  thy  money;  go  thy  way.  Thou  hast 
done  thy  work  well  and  art  well  paid.  Begone!" 
another  said. 

Then,  with  such  lightning  rapidity  that  none  could 
stop  him,  with  fingers  trembling  with  excitement, 
he  undid  the  mouth  of  the  bag,  his  hands  and 
fingers  shaking  so  that  he  could  hardly  do  it ;  and, 
before  any  could  stop  him,  he  had  thrown  the  silver 
from  the  window  into  the  courts  of  the  Temple, 
where  it  clinked  on  the  tesselated  pavement  with  a 
sound  that  seemed  to  cry  out:  '"  Blood  money, 
blood  money." 

At  that,  a  number  of  the  priests  ran  out  tumultu- 
ously,  jostling  each  other  like  a  herd  of  blinded 
cattle,  to  gather  up  the  money  before  the  people 
should  be  admitted  to  the  Temple  in  the  morning. 
But  Caiaphas  only  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  smiled 
scornfully,  as  though  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  and 
the  presence  of  the  madman  were  no  affair  of  his. 

Only  the  Nazarene  turned  an  eye  of  pity  on  the 
wretched  man;  and,  when  that  look  of  love  and 
mercy  fell  upon  the  traitor,  he  bent  his  head  and 
shuffled  from  the  room. 

Then,  to  end  the  horrible  situation,  Caiaphas  gave 
a  sign  to  the  soldiers  to  lead  the  Christ  away  to  the 
guard-room,  where  He  would  remain  till  early  the 
next  morning,  when  His  trial  before  Pilate  would 
take  place. 

Weary  with  all  His  drawn-out  agony,  anguished 
with  the  foretaste  of  a  death  of  torture  on  the  mor- 
row, the  Son  of  God  was  not  yet  allowed  to  rest. 


324  LAZARUS. 

The  shapely  form  was  buffeted  with  the  blows  of 
those  who  guarded  Him,  the  divine  face  spat  upon ; 
those  eyes  that  held  in  them  the  rays  of  eternal  sun- 
light were  blindfolded,  for  Him  to  be  the  sport  of 
the  lowest  of  earth's  creatures. 

"  Prophesy  who  it  was  that  smote  Thee  ?  " 
Blasphemy  after  blasphemy  fell  upon  ears  that 
quivered  in  their  purity.  Taunt  and  oath  and  curse 
echoed  round  the  prison  walls ;  but  the  Nazarene 
neither  spoke  nor  moved,  nor  asked  even  for  a  glass 
of  water  in  His  thirst  and  faintness.  The  dregs  of 
the  cup  were  thickening,  slowly  the  drops  were 
being  swallowed.  It  would  soon  be  finished  now. 
The  grey  streaks  of  His  last  dawn  on  earth — before 
His  resurrection, — the  few  bands  of  white  on  the 
walls  of  the  filthy  cell  lighted  the  pale  face  of  the 
Nazarene.  A  little  more  pain,  a  few  more  taunts, 
what  mattered  they  ?  A  little  more  strength  only 
needed  to  go  through  twelve  hours  more.  Ere  that 
same  sun  should  sink  blood-red  behind  the  hills,  the 
agony  would  be  over;  the  earth  be  bathed  In  the 
blood  that  would  surge  for  ever  over  men's  sins  in  a 
tide  of  endless  patience  till  the  Judgment  Day;  and 
the  stupendous  gift  of  the  world's  salvation  would 
be  offered,  for  men  to  take  or  leave. 


CHAPTER    XXXV. 

A  DARK  veil  of  grief  hung  over  the  home  of 
Bethany.     Ever  since  the  night  before,  when 
Lazarus  had   returned  from   the   Garden  of  Geth- 
semane,  they  had  sat  almost  paralysed  with  grief 
and  dread. 

The  Lord  captured,  the  Master  taken!  This  in- 
deed seemed  the  beginning  of  the  end ;  and  the  at- 
tempted capture  of  Lazarus  made  them  fear  that 
peace  had  for  ever  left  their  dwelling.  The  life  of 
Jesus  on  earth  would  find  its  lowly  echo  in  that  of 
Lazarus.  At  any  moment  he  might  be  seized,  as 
their  Lord  had  been,  captured,  taunted,  condemned. 
There  would  be  no  safety  for  the  future  in  that 
home ;  and  yet  they  regretted  nothing.  They  had 
put  their  shoulder  to  the  wheel  and  never  more 
would  they  look  back,  but  the  vista  that  stretched 
before  them  was  dark  and  drear;  trial,  fear,  trouble, 
death.  At  the  end  a  cross,  but  behind  the  cross 
what  glory! 

Over  and  over  again  Lazarus  told  them  of  those 
bitter  moments  in  Gethsemane,  and  their  tears  fell 
at  the  recital  of  the  agony  of  their  Lord. 

Over  and  over  again  Martha  murmured,  with  all  a 
woman's  tenderness:  "  To  be  sleeping,  to  be  sleep- 
ing, while  the  Lord  prayed  and  wept !  Oh  that  we 
Could  be  with  Him!  " 

325 


326  LAZARUS. 

Then,  before  dawn,  Lazarus  had  gone  to  learn  the 
result  of  the  Saviour's  interview  with  Caiaphas,  and 
where  He  was. 

'  Thy  face  doth  tell  me,  thy  face  doth  tell  me," 
cried  Mary,  stretching  out  her  hands  in  deep  distress 
when  Lazarus  returned.  "  He  is  condemned!  He 
is  condemned!  " 

"  Condemned  by  Caiaphas,"  assented  Lazarus; 
"  but  to-day  He  is  to  be  taken  before  Pilate,  and  the 
Romans  condemn  men  not  so  readily." 

"Yet  He  must  surely  die,"  said  Mary;  "and 
now,  for  His  dear  sake,  I  would  that  all  were  over 
and  He  once  more  with  the  Father." 

'  Yea,  indeed,"  said  Lazarus,  a  deep  depression 
in  his  voice.  "  God  grant  it  may  be  soon,  for  I  do 
hear  horrors  of  this  night  in  the  prison,  how  they 
did  taunt  and  sneer  and  strike  and — oh !  I  cannot 
speak  of  it."  He  shuddered,  while  the  two  women 
moaned  in  sympathy  at  the  sufferings  of  their  Lord. 

Then  rapidly  the  three  made  their  plans,  which  re- 
quired much  thought,  for  their  presence  at  Jerusalem 
might  excite  the  populace  and  effect  more  harm  than 
good ;  might  result  even  in  the  death  of  Lazarus. 
Yet  they  would  not  stay  away.  So  it  was  settled 
that  the  two  sisters  should  go  to  the  house  of  the 
Magdalene,  while  Lazarus  remained  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  city,  ready  to  be  sent  for  should  they  need 
him,  though  he  knew  well  that  he  could  do  but  little, 
either  to  give  solace  to  his  Lord  or  to  protect  his 
sisters.  The  last  act  of  the  tragedy,  that  had  begun 
with  the  creation  of  the  world,  was  about  to  be  per- 
formed. Divine  power  would  not,  human  could  not, 
bid  the  actors  stay  their  actions.  Each  horrible  de- 


LAZARUS.  327 

tail  of  ignominy  and  suffering,  of  trial  and  of  con- 
demnation, had  been  foretold.  Naught  else  would 
avail  if  man  was  to  be  saved.  As  man  looks  round 
on  man,  he  wonders  where  the  need  to  save  is 
shown,  or  what  is  worth  in  man  to  save. 

In  the  house  of  the  Magdalene  they  found  the 
virgin  mother,  who  had  come  from  Nazareth  for  one 
last  look  at  her  God-begotten  Son.  One  by  one, 
believing  women  added  themselves  to  the  little  knot 
of  mourners. 

Every  now  and  then  a  disciple,  or  some  friend, 
came  in  with  gleanings  of  news  that  brought  some- 
times anguish,  sometimes  comfort,  to  their  souls. 
At  one  moment  it  was  a  fresh  incident  of  that  night's 
suffering,  at  another  that  Pilate  would  not  con- 
demn. 

"  What  sayeth  the  multitude  ?  "  asked  the  Mag- 
dalene of  Nicodemus,  who  came  for  one  brief  instant. 
'  The  multitude  ?  What  doth  the  Jewish  multi- 
tude ever  to  them  who  are  down-trodden  ?  It 
treadeth  down  the  more.  Every  Jew  is  born  thus," 
replied  Nicodemus  angrily.  "  They  do  cry, '  Crucify 
Him!  Crucify  Him!  '  and  they  will  that  Barabbas 
be  released." 

"  Barabbas  for  the  Lord  ?  "  murmured  the  Mag- 
dalene. "  It  seemeth  past  man's  understanding!  " 

Towards  midday  Lazarus  came  with  the  news  of 
what  had  passed  before  Pontius  Pilate.  So  changed 
and  weary  was  his  face,  that  Martha  and  Mary  bade 
him  be  seated,  and  refreshed  him  by  bathing  his 
temples  in  vinegar  before  they  would  let  him  speak ; 
albeit  their  hearts  were  bursting  with  anxiety  and 
eagerness  to  hear. 


328  LAZARUS. 

"  It  is  all  over;  they  have  condemned  Him  to  be 
crucified,"  wailed  Lazarus;  and  great,  strong  man 
though  he  was,  his  voice  broke  and  tears  rose  to  his 
eyes.  "  I  can  scarce  tell  ye,"  he  added,  crying  like 
a  woman.  '  They  scourged  Him,  scourged  our 
Lord ;  Pontius  Pilate  with  his  own  hands  scourged 
Him,  and  Caiaphas  did  laugh,  they  say,  with  joy ; 
but  of  that  I  know  not  ;  for  I  could  not  stay 
and  not  cry  out  ;  and,  maybe,  for  every  cry  of 
mine  they  had  scourged  Him  yet  again."  At  his 
words  the  Saviour's  mother,  with  a  slight  groan  and 
a  cry,  fell  fainting  to  the  ground.  "  I  wot  not  she 
was  here,"  said  Lazarus.  "  It  seemeth  to  me  that 
my  heart  and  brain  have  given  way.  Hearken  unto 
them." 

And  in  the  distance,  like  the  bellowing  of  furious 
bulls,  or  the  thunder  of  a  torrent  that  has  broken 
loose  and  sweeps  everything  before  it,  came  the  dull 
roar  of  men  with  souls  so  dead  as  to  be  lost  to  all 
conception  of  the  majesty,  the  mercy,  or  the  truth 
of  God. 

"Crucify  Him!  Crucify  Him!"  rose  the  cry; 
and  strident  laughter,  and  the  gibing  voices  of  men, 
and  the  shrill  shrieks  of  women  combined  to  form  the 
delirious  clamour  that  rose  beneath  the  midday  sun. 

Then  Mary  Magdalene,  no  longer  able  to  contain 
herself,  threw  herself  into  the  arms  of  Mary,  and 
cried  out  bitterly:  "  And  all  this  for  my  sins,  my 
sins!  "  Then,  with  hearts  bursting  with  such  grief 
as  those  who  live  in  these  later  days  can  scarce  con- 
ceive— a  grief  peculiar  to  those  few  to  whom  it  was 
given  to  know  and  love  the  Saviour  when  on  earth 
— they  discussed  what  should  they  do. 


LAZARUS.  329 

"  We  cannot,  cannot  let  Him  die."  the  Magdalene 
sobbed. 

'  We  cannot  leave  Him  to  die  alone,"  said  Laza- 
rus. And,  all  the  while,  they  saw  not  that  the 
Virgin,  in  silent  grief — for  her  senses  had  re- 
turned— was  searching  for  a  covering  for  her  head 
and  was  about  to  sally  forth  alone.  Her  Son,  her 
God  to  die  alone  ?  Never!  not  if  ten  thousand 
swords  should  oppose  her  progress  to  the  cross. 
The  loving  heart  that  had  effaced  itself  for  thirty 
years,  to  let  the  course  of  God's  will  run  on  untram- 
melled, would  not  rebel  against  the  Lord's  decree; 
but  no  law,  either  of  Jew  or  Roman,  could  deny  a 
mother  the  exquisite  agony  of  seeing  her  son  die. 

Since  He  had  been  a  little  child,  He  had  never 
wanted  her,  but  the  link,  however  mysterious,  had 
been  there ;  the  link  between  the  human  mother  and 
the  divine  Son.  As  an  infant,  although  God,  He 
had  stretched  out  His  arms  to  her,  and  hers  had 
been  ever  ready;  they  would  be  ready  now,  out- 
stretched to  Him,  that  He  might  know  that  human 
tenderness  was  there,  side  by  side  with  divine  sub- 
mission. Perchance,  He  might  have  a  message ;  or 
to  those  tortured  limbs  she  might  bring  some  slight 
relief ;  at  least, when  dead, that  beauteous  head  should 
find  no  harder  resting-place  than  the  Virgin's  knee. 

"  She  goeth  to  Him;  we  must  go  too,"  said 
Mary.  And,  silently,  they  followed  the  mother  of 
the  Lord,  whose  grief  was  greater  even  than  theirs; 
and,  while  they  walked,  the  Magdalene  spoke  in  low, 
sweet  tones  to  Lazarus:  "  Scourged  by  the  hands 
of  Pontius  Pilate !  But 't  was  said  he  sought  to  save 
the  Lord." 


33O  LAZARUS. 

"  Methinks  that  't  was  to  save  the  Lord  that  he 
did  scourge  Him,"  answered  Lazarus.  "  Itseemeth 
to  me  that  he  thought  they  must  needs  be  satisfied 
with  that,  and  then  would  let  Him  go,  for  he  said, 
'  I  will  chastise  Him  and  let  Him  go.'  But  't  was 
the  wily  Caiaphas  and  that  hell-hound  Annas  that 
would  not  be  satisfied,  and  urged  on  the  people. 
Oh,  had  it  not  been  our  Lord  who  stood  there, 
't  would  have  been  a  brave  sight  to  see ;  for  all  the 
rulers  and  their  wives  and  daughters  stood  round  the 
Judgment  Hall  to  see  Him ;  and  to  see  Pilate  and 
Caiaphas  was  like  watching  two  cats  fighting  over 
one  mouse.  Like  crossed  swords  were  their  words, 
and  Caiaphas  gnashed  his  teeth,  as  if  already  in  hell, 
at  the  words  of  Pilate ;  for  Pilate  knoweth  full  well 
that  there  is  no  fault  in  Him,  and  that,  from  very 
fear,  the  High  Priest  did  this  thing.  Such  a  popu- 
lace was  there,  and  men  in  glittering  armour,  and 
priests  and  elders  in  costly  garments;  and,  when 
Pontius  Pilate  came  unto  the  steps  of  the  Tribunal, 
he  looked  as  pale  as  our  dear  Lord,  and  his  glance 
did  strike  across  to  Caiaphas,  and  he  called  out  aloud, 
'  Will  ye  that  I  release  unto  you  the  King  of  the 
Jews  ? '  Oh,  one  thought  that  Caiaphas  would  die 
of  very  wrath  at  the  words  of  Pilate ;  for  ofttimes 
Pilate  hath  taunted  him  that  he  feared  the  Jews 
would  make  our  Master  king.  But  that  ignorant 
people  did  only  cry,  '  Release  unto  us  Barabbas,  re- 
lease unto  us  Barabbas !  '  Yet  Pontius  Pilate  spake 
again  to  the  clamouring  crowd — '  Behold  the  Man 
whom  ye  would  crucify !  '  And  all  did  turn  their 
gaze  upon  that  face,  and  His  eyes  did  seem  to  look 
far  off,  and  His  lips  were  shut;  yet  I  thought  I 


LAZARUS.  331 

heard  Him  murmur,  '  Abba,  Father! '  Then  there 
was  silence,  and  methought,  '  Surely  one  after 
another  will  creep  away,  for  none  can  look  upon 
that  face  and  still  condemn  Him  ' ;  and  methinks, 
forsooth,  they  would  have  let  Him  go,  albeit  I  know 
that  He  needs  must  die.  But  Caiaphas,  when  he 
did  see  that  all  the  multitude  did  waver,  did  send 
his  false  accusers  to  stand  before  the  Governor; 
and  one  said,  '  We  found  this  fellow  perverting  the 
nation  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  say- 
ing that  He  Himself  is  Christ  and  King.'  But, 
when  Pilate  heard  this,  which  he  well  knew  was 
false,  he  said  again  to  the  chief  priests  and  to  the 
people,  '  People  of  Israel  and  all  nations,  I  find  no 
fault  in  this  Man. '  Then  Caiaphas  grew  yet  more 
fierce,  and,  fearing  lest  our  Master  should  escape 
him,  he  sent  another  false  accuser  to  say, '  He  stirreth 
up  the  people,  teaching  throughout  all  Jewry,  be- 
ginning from  Galilee  to  this  place.  For  He  is  born 
a  Galilean.'  And  this  he  said  because  he  knew  that, 
by  the  law,  a  Galilean  must  needs  go  before  Herod, 
and  Herod  hateth  Pontius  Pilate.  At  this,  Pontius 
Pilate  said  with  a  loud  voice,  '  I  wash  my  hands  of 
this  Galilean;  take  ye  Him  before  Herod.'  Then 
they  led  Him  away,  and  methought  He  would  have 
fainted  in  the  crowd  that  pressed  so  sore,  so  weary 
did  He  look." 

"My  Lord,  my  Lord,"  the  Magdalene  murmured. 

But  Lazarus  went  on:  "And  Pilate  with  a  loud 
voice  cried  out,  '  I  am  glad  that  Herod  is  in  Jeru- 
salem at  this  time,  for  I  see  no  fault  in  Him.  I 
cannot  condemn  Him  by  the  Roman  law.'  And 
they  do  say  that  for  many  years  hath  Herod  wished 


332  LAZARUS. 

to  see  the  Master.  And  while  Pilate's  messenger 
did  go  to  Herod,  the  multitude  did  shout  continu- 
ally, '  He  hath  blasphemed !  Crucify  Him !  Crucify 
Him ! '  Aye,  't  was  like  beasts  waiting  to  lick  warm 
blood.  Then,  all  of  a  sudden,  a  silence  fell  on  all ; 
then  rose  a  murmur,  and  a  soldier  sent  by  Herod 
entered,  and  soon  came  forth  again  walking  before 
the  Christ  and  crying  out,  '  Make  way,  make  way 
for  the  King  of  the  Jews !  '  And  as  all  looked  to  see 
what  this  might  mean,  behold  the  Master,  arrayed 
in  gorgeous  robes  and  with  a  crown  of  thorns  upon 
His  head,  came  forth,  and  the  eyes  of  all  were 
blinded  with  His  glory;  and  Caiaphas  did  bend  his 
head  forward  to  his  breast,  and  looked  upward  with 
his  eyes,  as  is  his  wont ;  and  into  his  face  there  came 
such  fear  that  methought  surely  Caiaphas  hath  been 
defeated  and  they  have  in  truth  proclaimed  Him 
King;  but  't  was  a  sorry  jest  of  Herod  to  Pontius 
Pilate.  Yet  Pilate  smiled  not  when  his  eyes  fell  on 
the  Christ,  but  murmured,  '  No  man  saw  I  ever  so 
like  a  king. '  '  But  the  people  feared  to  lose  Barab- 
bas,  and  cried  out,  '  Crucify  Him !  '  and,  the  while, 
Pontius  Pilate  read  the  missive  from  the  Tetrarch. 
Then  Pilate  stood  once  more  on  the  steps  of  the 
Tribunal,  and  cried  out,  '  Chief  priests,  rulers,  and 
people  of  Israel,  ye  have  brought  this  Man  unto  me 
as  one  that  perturbeth  the  people,  and,  behold,  I 
having  examined  Him  before  you,  have  found  no 
fault  in  Him,  touching  those  things  whereof  ye  do 
accuse  Him  ;  no,  nor  yet  hath  Herod,  for  I  sent  Him 
unto  him ;  and  lo,  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done 
unto  Him  nor  spoken  of  by  Herod.  I  will  therefore 
chastise  Him  and  release  Him.'  But,  with  one 


LAZARUS.  333 

voice,  they  cried  out  like  thunder :  '  Away  with  this 
Man,  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas!  '  And  again 
and  again  Pilate  spoke  and  said,  '  Why,  what  evil 
hath  He  done  ?  I  have  found  no  cause  of  death  in 
Him;  and  I  will  let  Him  go.'  But  they  cried  more 
and  more,  '  Crucify  Him !  Crucify  Him !  '  At  last, 
when  Pilate  saw  that  there  would  be  an  uproar  with 
the  people,  and  that  some  even  drew  their  staves 
and  swords,  he  cried  wearily,  '  Take  ye  Him  and 
crucify  Him.  Do  with  Him  as  ye  will,  but  I  find 
no  fault  in  Him.'  And  as  they  led  Him  away, 
Pilate  followed  with  his  eyes  until  the  Master  had 
left  the  room ;  then  he  sank  down  in  his  chair  and 
covered  his  face  with  his  hands  and  would  speak  to 
no  man ;  and  Caiaphas  did  turn  to  him  with  such 
a  look  of  joy  and  hate  and  triumph  as  never  saw  I 
mingled  in  one  face  before." 

By  this  time  they  had  joined  the  vociferating 
crowd,  which,  satisfied  with  its  success  and  weary 
with  the  excitement  of  the  day,  had  not  had  time  to 
notice  the  added  group  to  the  already  swelling  mul- 
titude. 

At  sight  of  the  weary  face  of  the  Nazarene  they 
could  have  cried  out  with  anguish.  Never  was  such 
grief  and  ignominy  beheld  before.  Thank  God, 
there  never  will  be  again!  Travel-stained,  weary, 
footsore, bruised  and  lacerated  with  the  cruel  scourge, 
almost  fainting  with  the  weight  of  the  heavy  cross 
in  the  broiling  midday  sun,  with  no  covering  on  His 
head  but  the  crown  of  thorns  which  had  torn  His 
brow  in  bleeding  gashes,  but  which  He  could  not 
even  raise  from  its  position  with  His  bound  hands, 
the  world's  Saviour  staggered  on,  through  taunts 


334  LAZARUS. 

and  gibes  and  mocking  words  of  false  obeisance: 
"  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews!  "  or,  "  Why  dost  not  un- 
bind Thine  hands,  Thou  Maker  of  Miracles  ?  " 

Suddenly  there  was  a  few  moments'  halt,  while 
they  seized  on  a  Cyrenian  going  by,  to  load  him 
with  the  cross.  Then  the  women  Jesus  loved  drew 
nearer,  hoping,  if  only  by  some  look,  to  tell  Him 
how  their  anguished  hearts  did  throb  in  sympathy 
with  His.  He  turned  and  gazed  on  them,  His  eyes 
enfolding  first  and  foremost  the  mother  He  loved  so 
well,  and  whose  whole  heart  was  His. 

"  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,"  said  the  loving  voice, 
that  had  been  for  so  long  mute,  whose  sweet  but 
searching  tones  would  sound  so  rarely  now  on  earth, 
"  weep  not  for  Me,  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  for 
your  children." 

But 't  was  for  Him  they  wept,  for  their  powerless- 
ness  to  help  Him,  and  for  their  sins,  that  were  the 
cause  of  all  His  agony.  And  the  virgin  mother  wept 
so  grievously  that  it  seemed  as  if  her  heart  must 
burst  and  her  eyes  shed  blood  for  the  greatness  of 
her  grief. 

Then  all  those  who  loved  the  Nazarene  and  be- 
lieved in  Him  recalled  the  prophet's  words:  "Her 
soul  shall  be  pierced  with  a  two-edged  sword  "  ;  and 
again,  "  I  gave  my  back  to  the  smiters,  and  my 
cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off  the  hair:  I  hid  not 
my  face  from  shame  and  spitting." 

Suddenly  a  horse,  with  a  Roman  soldier  on  its 
back,  came  galloping  at  full  speed  through  the 
crowd,  scattering  to  right  and  left  screaming  men, 
women,  and  children,  even  knocking  some  down  in 
his  haste. 

"  Even  now  will  Pilate  save  Him,"  the  people 


LAZARUS.  335 

murmured.  The  horse  was  flecked  with  foam,  and 
the  man's  brow  dripped  with  sweat.  The  clinking 
chains  of  the  heavy  Roman  bridle  gleamed  in  the 
sun,  yet  shone  not  brighter  than  the  sleek  flanks  of 
the  horse  or  the  crest  of  the  soldier's  helmet.  But 
it  was  no  respite  for  the  condemned  God  he  brought. 

He  cried  out:  "  Lazarus,  Lazarus,  find  Lazarus. 
The  Governor  hath  need  of  him." 

No  sign  of  terror  blanched  the  face  of  Lazarus, 
when,  in  reverent  imitation  of  his  Master,  he  stepped 
forward,  saying  boldly:  "  I  am  he." 

"  His  hour  hath  come,"  said  Martha,  her  stern 
brow  growing  even  whiter  than  before,  her  strong 
mouth  hardening  with  dull  resignation. 

The  mute  agony  in  the  eyes  of  the  women  wrung 
his  heart.  So  soon !  Before  the  crowd  had  slaked 
their  thirst  with  the  blood  of  one,  to  demand  an- 
other's! The  blow  had  fallen;  both  in  one  day 
would  hang  upon  the  cross.  The  last  act  of  the 
drama  had  begun ;  better  almost  that  it  should  be 
so  than  this  constant  scraping  of  the  heart-strings. 

Gravely,  even  solemnly,  his  sisters  kissed  him. 
The  Magdalene,  distracted  as  she  was  with  grief, 
could  only  stretch  out  her  hands  and  cry:  "Laza- 
rus, my  love,  my  life."  And  when,  with  a  breaking 
heart,  Lazarus  turned  to  obey  the  Governor's  com- 
mand, he  saw  her  borne  away  by  helpful  arms,  her 
golden  hair  that  was  almost  trailing  in  the  dust, 
glowing  like  a  halo  of  glory  round  her  head. 

And,  while  he  walked  by  the  side  of  the  soldier's 
horse,  the  multitude,  weary  already  of  witnessing 
the  agony  of  the  Nazarene,  cried  out :  "  He  too  will 
be  crucified  this  day!  " 

No  cheerful  cry  to  end  a  day  of  mourning. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

UP  and  down  paced  Pilate  in  his  private  chamber, 
while  the  weary,  bleeding  figure  of  the  Naza- 
rene  was  tottering  along  the  road  to  Golgotha. 
Never  more  while  a  breath  remained  in  his  body 
would  peace  be  in  his  heart.  Each  day  doubt 
would  strengthen,  till  from  it  should  be  born  con- 
viction ;  when  that  should  come  no  place  on  earth 
could  hold  him. 

On  his  return  to  his  house  he  had  dreaded  to 
meet  his  wife,  yet  the  first  person  he  met  was  she. 

She  had  told  him  of  her  dreams,  she  had  even 
sent  a  message  to  the  Judgment  chamber,  knowing 
full  well  how,  to  obtain  their  end,  the  Jews  would 
press  him.  She  knew  Pilate  well  enough  to  fear 
that  his  frank,  intrepid  nature  would  be  ill-matched 
against  the  crafty  subtlety  of  the  law-versed  Jews. 

'  Well  ?  "  she  asked,  without  greeting  him,  in  her 
excitement,  "  hast  thou  released  Him  ?  Where  is 
He?" 

"  Oh,  Claudia,  Claudia,  blame  me  not!  "  he  said. 
"  I  could  not.  They  would  not.  They  prevailed 
with  me,  as  those  cursed  Jews  do  ever." 

"  'T  is  not  true;  it  cannot  be  true!"  shrieked 
Claudia. 

"  What  is  Truth  ?  What  is  Truth  ?  "  murmured 
Pilate.  "  Would  I  knew  the  Truth." 

336 


LAZARUS.  337 

"  What  is  Truth  ?  "  repeated  Claudia  scornfully, 
her  eyes  flashing  with  the  wrath  that  stirred  her. 
"  What  is  Truth  is  this:  thou  art  a  coward,  a  mean, 
shrinking  coward.  The  Romans  were  called  ever 
brave,  but  in  all  Judaea  there  is  no  such  coward  as 
thou.  For  fear  of  the  multitude  thou  hast  struck 
at  God,  if  He  be  indeed  the  Son  of  God!  " 

Surely  his  retribution  was  coming  swiftly,  dealt  by 
the  hand  that  could  wound  the  most ;  for  all  this  man's 
great  love  was  centred  in,  and  wisely  so,  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  Claudia,  Claudia,  blame  me  not,"  he  said 
again,  in  a  voice  beseeching  as  a  little  child's.  "  He 
blamed  me  not,  for  when  I  said,  '  Speakest  Thou 
not  unto  me  ?  knowest  Thou  not  that  I  have 
power  to  crucify  Thee,  and  have  power  to  release 
Thee  ? '  He  answered  me,  '  Thou  wouldst  have  no 
power  at  all  against  Me,  except  it  were  given  Thee 
from  above:  therefore  he  that  delivered  Me  unto 
thee  hath  the  greater  sin.'  Then,  when  I  heard 
those  words,  I  tried  all  I  could  to  save  Him ;  believe 
me,  Claudia,  I  brought  Him  forth  as  a  king;  I 
cried,  '  Will  ye  crucify  your  King  ? '  And,  when 
they  derided  me,  I  said  again,  'Behold  your  King! ' 
Yet  they  cried  only  the  more,  '  We  have  no  King 
but  Caesar.  Crucify  Him!  Crucify  Him!'  Then 
I  sent  Him  to  Herod,  but  he,  too,  would  not 
condemn  Him;  and  methinks  the  people  would 
have  listened  to  Herod,  but  that  hell-hound  Caia- 
phas,  that  suave-mouthed,  leprous-souled  High 
Priest,  had  paid  many  of  the  Jews  to  cry  out  '  Cru- 
cify !  '  and,  for  fear  of  an  uproar,  and  lest  the  mul- 
titude should  tear  the  Nazarene  to  pieces,  I  did  let 
them  have  Him." 


338  LAZARUS. 

'  Thou  wert  sore-pressed,  truly,  Pilate,"  said  the 
just  Claudia,  "  but  yet  thou  hadst  power  to  release 
this  Man ;  and  now  thou  wilt  see  that  all  our  glory 
will  fade  away  and  great  misfortunes  will  befall  us, 
and  through  endless  ages  we  shall  be  cursed  for  this 
thing  which  thou  hast  done ;  for  a  dream  this  night 
did  tell  me  that  He  was  the  Son  of  God  and  that  He 
will  come  with  power  again  upon  the  earth. ' '  Then, 
changing  her  tone,  she  shrieked  out:  "  But  why 
converse  we  here  ?  There  is  yet  time.  He  is  not 
dead.  Release  Him  yet.  O  Pilate,  for  love  of  me, 
the  wife  of  thy  bosom,  whom  thou  sayest  thou 
lovest;  O  Pilate,  noble  Pilate,  release  Him,  save 
Him  yet!  "  And  she  flung  herself  at  his  feet,  ap- 
pealing to  him  by  every  loving  name. 

One  faint  gleam  of  almost  savage  hope  flashed  up, 
then  flickered  feebly  in  the  Roman's  eyes. 

'  Ye  know  not  these  vile  Jews,  they  thirst  for 
blood ;  like  dogs,  they  would  lick  sores ;  they  have 
no  mercy.  If  I  release  Him  now,  Caiaphas  will  ex- 
cite the  people  and  they  will  rend  Him  limb  from 
limb.  Leave  Him  to  die,  Claudia,  for  't  is  the  kind- 
est thing  that  thou  canst  do.  Let  Him  sleep  to- 
night in  heaven." 

Awed  by  his  words,  Claudia  said  after  him:  "In 
heaven  ?  Dost  thou,  too,  believe  He  is  the  Son  of 
God  ?" 

And  Pilate  stood  there  silent,  while  his  deep-set 
eyes  gazed  far  beyond  the  hills  to  where  he  knew  a 
cross  was  being  raised  against  the  sky. 

As  in  a  vision  he  saw  the  bleeding  body  on  the 
cross.  He  knew  the  torture,  for  he  had  seen  many 
hanging  so ;  the  body,  with  its  weight,  tearing  the 


LAZARUS.  339 

flesh  from  the  nails  that  pierced  the  hands;  the 
strain  of  outstretched  arteries  and  nerves;  the  one 
position  that  never,  never  could  be  changed ;  the 
scorching  sun  beating  fierce  on  eyes  and  brain,  and 
the  maddening  thirst ;  the  swollen  flesh,  the  aching 
back,  the  smarting  seams  inflicted  by  the  scourge ; 
the  taunts,  the  insults,  the  abuse ;  then  the  solitude 
and  the  silent  agony  of  death.  This  for  a  man  ;  and, 
for  a  God,  the  awful  load  of  foulest,  unrepented  sins. 
Better,  better,  to  go  and  pierce  Him  with  his  own 
hands,  than  to  leave  Him  to  that  lingering  death. 

"  Oh,  what  is  Truth  ?  Who  will  explain  ?  Who 
is  He  ?  Whence  is  He  ? " 

Then  life's  business  intruded  itself  upon  these 
awful  thoughts ;  a  soldier  came  with  tablets  in  his 
hand. 

'  We  would  know  what  thou  wouldst  have  placed 
above  the  cross,"  he  said. 

Yes,  there  was  a  possibility  of  avenging  the  Naza- 
rene,  of  insulting  the  whole  Jewish  nation,  of  mad- 
dening with  fury  those  two  high  priests.  It  was  the 
last  sweet  moment  of  Pilate's  darkened  life;  he 
would  make  the  most  of  it. 

'  Write,"  he  said  to  the  grovelling  scribe  who 
stood  cringingly  awaiting  his  commands — "  Write, 

'JESUS  OF   NAZARETH    THE   KING  OF  THE 
JEWS.' " 

Then,  when  the  emissary  of  Caiaphas  seemed  to  hes- 
itate, he  said:  "  Dost  hear  me  ?  In  Latin  and  in 
Greek  and  in  Hebrew  shalt  thou  write,  so  that  all 
men  and  nations  can  read,  '  Jesus  of  Nazareth  the 
King  of  the  Jews.'  ' 


340  LAZARUS. 

And,  wondering,  the  man  fled  from  Pilate's  pres- 
ence to  obey. 

The  Saviour  was  now  hanging  on  the  cross;  the 
last  drops  of  agony  were  being  drunk ;  the  cup  was 
nearly  empty.  But  Pilate  could  do  something  to 
curtail  His  sufferings,  and  he  would.  His  remorse 
was  maddening. 

"  Send  me  hither,"  he  commanded,  "  Portius  and 
Tertius,  my  two  most  trusted  soldiers." 

"  Go,"  he  said,  "  to  the  cross  of  the — the — the 
Nazarene  that  is  crucified  to-day,  and  let  Him  not 
die  a  lingering  death  ;  but,  when  the  multitude  press 
round,  pierce  Him  with  your  spears  close  to  the 
heart,  so  that  He  die  and  hang  not  long.  Even  to 
the  condemned  we  may  show  mercy." 

Then  again  he  began  to  pace  his  chamber,  and 
from  his  heart,  unconsciously,  there  rose  a  prayer 
for  light  and  truth. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII. 

F)REPARED  for  his  death  sentence,  yet  now  no 
1  longer  fearing  it,  Lazarus  was  surprised  at  his 
reception  when  ushered  into  the  presence  of  Pontius 
Pilate. 

Indeed,  so  agitated  was  Pilate,  that  he  motioned 
with  his  head  to  Claudia  to  ask  the  burning  ques- 
tions that  lay  so  close  to  both  their  lips. 

"  Oh,  tell  us,  tell  us,  noble  Lazarus,  is  He 
dead  ? ' '  she  asked. 

"  I  think  that  even  now  they  are  but  nailing 
Him  to  the  Cross,  if  so  be  they  lose  not  time  in 
buffeting  Him,"  said  Lazarus,  his  voice  trembling 
with  emotion. 

"  Be  seated,  I  pray  thee,"  said  Claudia,  seeing 
how  pale  and  tired  he  looked.  Then  she  continued : 
"  Cannot  we  yet  save  Him  ?  " 

A  gleam  of  hope  shot  from  the  eyes  of  Lazarus, 
but  quickly  died.  After  a  pause  he  said:  "  Nay, 
let  Him  die,  fair  lady.  'T  is  but  another  hour  of 
agony,  and  then  the  sweet  spirit  will  have  rejoined 
His  Father.  Needs  must  that  He  should  die.  He 
Himself  hath  said  so,  and  His  word  is  Truth.  If  thou 
shouldst  release  Him  now,  Caiaphas  will  by  subtlety 
retake  Him.  For  the  salvation  of  the  world  He 
must  needs  die  to  bear  the  sins  of  all." 

"  Thinkest  thou,  then,  that  He  is  the  Son  of 
God  ?" 


342  LAZARUS. 

"  Askest  thou  me,  whom  the  Lord  hath  raised, 
whether  I  believe  He  is  the  Son  of  God  ?"  said 
Lazarus. 

"  Wast  thou  really  dead  ?  "  asked  Pilate. 

"  Dead  ?  Yea,"  said  Lazarus.  "  Four  days  in 
the  tomb,  and  my  spirit  departed  into  Hades." 

"  Is  there,  then,  another  world  ?"  asked  Pilate 
breathlessly;  "  a  world  of  life  and  death  ?  " 

"  Another  world  in  truth,"  said  Lazarus.  "  A 
world  of  light  and  peace  and  righteousness  and  joy 
for  evermore.  ' 

"Oh!"  Pilate  cast  himself  down  before  his 
table  and,  throwing  his  hands  outstretched  across 
it,  placed  his  head  upon  them  and  cried  out:  "And 
I  have  crucified  Him!  I  have  crucified  Him!  " 

At  that  moment  in  the  distance  rose  a  hideous 
yell — the  yell  of  triumph  at  sated  hate.  It  fell  on 
Lazarus's  ears  like  sharp-edged  stones.  He  knew 
it  for  the  death-knell  of  the  Christ.  Claudia 
started,  then  wrung  her  hands  and  cried  out:  "  He 
is  dead !  The  Son  of  God  is  dead !  " 

Then  down  on  his  knees  fell  Lazarus,  and  bowed 
himself  to  the  ground.  And  now  occurred  a  won- 
drous thing :  the  house  swayed  backwards  and  for- 
wards, as  though  it  were  like  to  fall,  so  fearful  was 
its  rocking. 

Claudia  stretched  out  her  hands  in  awe  and  horror 
to  her  husband,  but,  the  while,  a  darkness,  a  solid 
darkness,  with  no  faint  glimmerings  of  struggling 
light,  had  fallen  between  her  and  him. 

Lazarus!"  she  cried,  "  Lazarus,   Pilate,  what 
meaneth  this  ?  " 

And  Lazarus's  voice  beside  her  said  :  "  Fear  not, 


LAZARUS.  343 

't  is  but  God's  earth  mourning  for  the  Son  of  God. 
Pray,  lady,  pray  that  thou  and  Pilate  may  yet 
believe." 

Suddenly  the  clatter  of  a  horse's  hoofs  was  heard 
beneath  the  window.  Breathless,  a  centurion  en- 
tered and,  saluting,  briefly  handed  his  report  to 
Pilate. 

'  Didst  do  as  I  commanded  ? "  Pilate  asked. 

The  centurion,  unable  to  restrain  himself,  threw 
himself  on  his  knees. 

"  Of  a  truth,"  he  said,  "  I  did  as  thou  didst  com- 
mand ;  and  forthwith  from  his  heart  there  flowed 
two  streams,  of  water  and  of  blood.  Further,  even 
if  my  words  displease  thee  so  that  thou  shouldst 
slay  me,  I  still  will  say  that  I  do  believe  that  this 
was  indeed  the  Son  of  God." 

Why  shouldst  thou  not  believe  and  live  ?  "  said 
Pilate  gently.  "  Methinks,  as  thou  dost,  that  this 
Man  had  somewhat  of  the  divine  in  Him." 

"  Not  part,  but  all,"  said  Lazarus  reverently. 
Then  approaching  Pilate  respectfully,  he  added: 
"  Dost  need  me  further,  noble  Pilate,  for  I  would  go 
and  see  my  Lord's  body  and  tend  my  women,  who 
will  be  bowed  with  grief  ? ' ' 

"  Art  not  afraid,"  asked  Pilate,  "  that  the  crowd 
will  rend  thee  ? ' ' 

"  I  am  afraid  of  naught,"  said  Lazarus;  "  and,  if 
they  rend  me,  I  count  such  pain  but  glory  to  my 
God." 

"  Thou  talkest  like  a  Roman,"  was  Pilate's  an- 
swer. "  Yea,  go,  for  to  go  or  stay  availeth  nothing 
now.  I  would  that  I  could  help  thee,  for  I  fear  that 
thou,  too,  and  all  who  loved  this  Man  will  suffer 


344  LAZARUS. 

yet.  But,  should  Caiaphas  seek  to  take  thee,  or  to 
do  thee  hurt,  and  I  do  hear  of  it,  it  shall  be  the 
worse  for  him;  for,  while  I  am  Governor  of  Judaea, 
I  will  protect  thee.  In  my  foolishness,  but  now  I 
suffered  this  Sadducee  to  prevail ;  but  it  shall  not  be 
thus  again.  By  my  hand  no  man  again  shall  die  un- 
justly, for  this  thing  was  unjust." 

When  Lazarus  was  about  to  retire,  a  soldier  an- 
nounced Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  who,  on  entering, 
glanced  at  Lazarus  half  in  astonishment  and  half  in 
fear  that  he  was  a  prisoner. 

Pilate  greeted  him  with  a  friendly  smile. 

"  Hail,  noble  counsellor,  what  wouldst  thou  of 
me  ?" 

"  I  would  crave  of  thee  the  body  of  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth, the  Son  of  God." 

"  Howsayest  thou  the  Son  of  God,"  asked  Pilate, 
thirsting  for  a  further  understanding  of  these  mys- 
teries, "  since  it  is  reported  that  He  is  the  Son  of 
Joseph,  a  carpenter  of  Nazareth  ?  " 

"For  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the 
world  was  this  thing  done,"  said  Joseph.  "  He  is 
no  man — begotten  man — for  His  mother  hath  known 
no  man ;  she  is  yet  a  virgin  (Blessed  be  she  amongst 
women!);  and  He  is  the  Son  of  God." 

Pilate  paused  a  moment  before  he  made  answer. 
What  if  all  this  were  a  trick  ?  What  if  Lazarus  had 
not  been  dead  ?  What  if  they  required  the  body  to 
perform  some  pretended  miracle  of  resurrection  ? 

Doubt,  Satan's  strongest  instrument,  that  enfold- 
ing cloak  he  throws  over  the  heads  of  those  he  would 
ensnare,  so  that  they  cannot  see  nor  hear,  nor  yet 
cry  out  for  help,  seized  him  again.  Then,  turning 


LAZARUS.  345 

to  the  centurion,  he  said:  "  Dost  swear  that  this 
Jesus  is  dead  ?  " 

"Truly  I  would  I  thought  it  not.  But  He  is  dead 
in  very  deed,  and  many  will  bear  witness  of  it,"  was 
the  centurion's  answer. 

"  Wilt  thou  still  doubt,"  asked  Lazarus,  "  and 
forget  already  the  darkness  and  the  earthquake  ?  " 

Then  Pilate  said:  "For  my  own  sake  said  I  this; 
for,  if  indeed  He  rise  again,  I  would  be  sure  that 
there  is  no  witchery  and  would  have  others  witness 
of  it." 

Then  he  gave  leave  to  Joseph  to  do  what  he  would 
with  the  holy  body,  and  the  two  men  left  together. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  rumour  of  Pilate's  con- 
cession reached  the  ears  of  Caiaphas,  so  he  sent  a 
deputation  of  priests  and  Pharisees  to  the  Governor, 
to  ask  whether  he  did  not  fear  a  repetition  of  the 
miracle  of  Lazarus. 

"  Sir,"  they  urged,  "  we  remember  that  this  de- 
ceiver said,  while  He  was  yet  alive,  '  After  three 
days  I  will  rise  again.' 

Do  ye  then  so  fear  the  vengeance  of  this  Man 
whom  ye  have  crucified  ?  "  asked  Pilate.  "  I  won- 
der not  that  ye  fear  to  see  His  face  again." 

"  We  would  but  make  certain  that  His  disciples 
bewitch  not  the  people  further,"  said  the  cringing 
group  of  Pharisees.  "  We  would  but  have  thee 
command  that  the  sepulchre  be  made  sure  until  the 
third  day,  lest  His  disciples  come  by  night  and  steal 
Him  away,  and  say  unto  the  people,  '  He  is  risen 
from  the  dead.'  So  the  last  error  be  worse  than 
the  first." 

Then  Pilate  answered  them  with  scorn :  "  Ye  have 


346  LAZARUS. 

a  watch;  go  your  way,  make  it  as  sure  as  ye  can. 
And  tell  Caiaphas  that,  on  the  third  day,  methinks 
the  Nazarene  will  rise  again." 

And,  shaking  their  heads  and  wondering  whether 
Pilate  had  in  truth  gone  mad,  they  hurried  back  to 
Caiaphas  and  bid  him  seal  the  sepulchre,  for  which 
thing  Pilate  had  given  his  permission. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

LIKE  Pilate,  Caiaphas  also  paced  his  room,  but 
with  what  different  thoughts!  Terror,  too, 
was  his,  but  the  terror  only  of  some  horrible  death, 
some  awful  retribution  that  would  fall  on  him, 
though  its  form  was  hidden  from  him.  This  morn- 
ing he  had  triumphed,  he  had  wrung  the  heart  of 
Pilate,  but  his  triumph  had  not  been  unalloyed.  He 
knew  that  both  Herod  and  Pilate  despised  him  for 
the  act,  and  till  he  had  heard  that  the  Nazarene  had 
breathed  His  last  he  had  felt  a  lurking  dread  of  what 
he  knew  not.  Then  how  would  the  people  take  it  ? 
He  had  seen  oft  in  history  that  from  a  national  suc- 
cess had  sprung  a  national  hatred.  The  poor,  the 
maimed,  the  blind,  would  they  form  an  alliance  and 
make  Lazarus  their  head  ?  Two  rulers  had  disap- 
peared from  the  council  of  the  Synagogue — Nico- 
demus  and  Lazarus;  two  powerful,  wealthy  men. 
And  they  had  sent  no  word  to  him.  What  did  their 
silence  mean  ?  For  crafty  people  dread  ever  silence. 
They  are  afraid  of  secret  machinations,  of  the  sud- 
den outbursts  of  revolutions,  of  unlooked-for  actions, 
the  outcome  of  cabals.  Every  one  is  in  league  to 
intrigue  against  them,  because  a  life  without  intrigue 
appears  to  them  impossible.  Every  one  hates  them, 
for  they  know  that  in  themselves  is  nothing  lovable. 
What  strange  foreboding  of  horror  was  this  that 
347 


348  LAZARUS. 

haunted  him  ?  What  meant  this  great  unrest  ? 
Once  more  he  saw  the  twilight  scene,  the  rocks,  the 
faint  blue  light  'twixt  morn  and  night.  No  loving 
arms  were  round  him,  no  sweet  voices  soothed  the 
lonely  horror  of  his  cogitations.  Daughter  and  kin- 
dred and  wife,  all  were  subordinated  to  that  all-ab- 
sorbing self  that  had  neither  ears  nor  eyes  except 
for  the  thing  desired,  the  furthering  of  ambitious 
schemes,  the  fulfilment  of  self-seeking  dreams. 

The  hours  went  on,  but  none  brought  the  joyful 
news  that  this  Nazarene  was  crucified.  What  stir- 
ring wonders  there  might  yet  be  betwixt  Jerusalem 
and  Golgotha!  Spies  brought  him  word  that  Pilate 
still  kept  within  his  house,  apparently  much  dis- 
turbed. A  messenger  had  been  sent  after  the  pro- 
cession that  followed  the  cross.  Two  soldiers  had 
been  despatched  to  Golgotha.  Wherefore  ?  What 
did  it  mean  ?  What  hidden  plot  was  gendering  in 
the  heart  of  the  proud  Governor  ?  He  was  capable 
of  acting  in  defiance  alike  of  king  and  law.  What 
if  he  had  acquiesced  in  the  crucifixion  of  the  Naza- 
rene only  to  release  Him  afterwards  ?  What  if  the 
Nazarene  should  come  to  life  again,  like  Lazarus  ? 

The  night  wore  on,  and  the  harrowing  meditations 
of  the  High  Priest  ceased  only  in  the  morning,  when 
Annas  came,  and  with  him  other  priests,  to  discuss 
the  question  of  the  disposal  of  the  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  scattered  by  Judas  in  the  Temple  court,  but 
since  collected.  No  time  should  be  lost  in  dealing 
with  this  sum. 

As  if  by  mutual  consent,  no  one  broached  the 
subject  that  lay  next  their  hearts,  the  condemning 
of  the  Nazarene.  Glad  of  any  change  that  might 


LAZARUS.  349 

divert  the  current  of  his  thoughts,  Caiaphas  sug- 
gested an  adjournment  to  the  Temple,  there  to  de- 
bate the  point  with  other  Jews ;  but  in  this  he  did 
but  cheat  himself,  for  all  he  yearned  for  was  forget- 
fulness. 

The  animated  conversation  going  on  amongst  the 
rabbis  and  the  money-changers  who  hung  about  the 
Temple,  and  their  fevered  gestures,  were  ascribed — 
and  rightly  too — by  Caiaphas  and  his  companions  to 
the  stirring  events  of  the  previous  day ;  and  the  ob- 
sequiousness of  the  greetings  he  received  assured 
him  that  the  crucifixion  of  the  Nazarene  had  re- 
established the  dominion  he  had  feared  to  lose. 

Presently  the  name  of  Judas  arrested  his  attention, 
and  he  stopped  near  a  little  group  of  gesticulating 
Jews. 

'  We  are  here,"  he  said,  addressing  one  he  knew, 
"  to  discuss  the  question  of  this  money." 

"  Hast  heard  the  news,  rabboni  ?"  replied  the 
man. 

"  Aye,  what  news  ?  These  are  strange  times  in  the 
which  news  doth  follow  news  so  fast  that  one  know- 
eth  not  which  precedeth,"  answered  Caiaphas,  not 
wishing  to  show  his  curiosity,  yet  trembling  with 
excitement. 

"  Iscariot  is  dead;  he  was  found  hanging  in  the 
potter's  field  this  morning;  and  no  one  knoweth 
whether  he  did  slay  himself,  or  was  slain  by  the  dis- 
ciples of  that  Nazarene  who,  God  be  praised,  can 
harm  us  now  no  more." 

"  Dead,  Iscariot  dead  ?"  Caiaphas  held  out  his 
arm  and,  with  feigned  indifference,  leaned  against 
one  of  the  great  pillars  of  the  Temple  for  support. 


350  LAZARUS. 

Dead,  Iscariot  dead  !  He  had  scarce  grasped  the 
fact  when — lo !  what  was  this  sudden  darkness  ? 
Was  Caiaphas  struck  suddenly  with  blindness,  or 
where  were  they  who  had  stood  around  but  now  ? 
The  chief  priests,  the  scribes,  the  cages  of  the  doves, 
the  little  tables,  the  altar — where  were  they  all  ? 
Was  this  the  end  of  all  ?  Was  this  Nazarene  truly 
God  ? 

And,  panic-stricken,  he  smote  upon  his  breast  and 
bowed  before  the  God  whose  Son  he  had  condemned 
to  death.  Then  the  earth  beneath  him  trembled, 
and  the  Temple  rocked,  and  he  looked  to  see  it 
crumble  stone  from  stone.  The  deepest  blackness 
lasted  but  a  moment,  and  when  the  darksome  pall 
had  somewhat  lifted,  and  the  shivering,  crouching 
Caiaphas  dared  to  raise  his  eyes,  he  saw  that  the  veil 
of  the  Temple  had  been  torn  to  pieces.  The  red, 
the  blue,  the  purple  linen  hung  in  shreds,  like  a  flag 
that  had  borne  the  brunt  of  battle.  The  cherubim, 
too,  had  been  cleft  in  twain  between  the  wings ;  and 
the  altar,  with  its  golden  candlesticks  and  shewbread 
and  burnt  offerings,  was  exposed  to  the  public  gaze, 
for  thousands  were  crowding  in  terror  at  the  dark- 
ness, regardless  of  the  High  Priest's  presence. 

And  thus  ran  the  thoughts  of  Caiaphas:  He  was 
dead,  the  Nazarene,  so  said  the  people ;  but  would 
His  death  free  him  from  his  shadowy  dread,  and  re- 
store his  peace  of  mind,  his  power  ?  Or  was  more 
to  come  ?  Added  horror — would  He  return  in  glory 
as  He  had  said  ? 

With  teeth  chattering  with  terror,  Caiaphas  tried 
to  persuade  himself  that  he  had  been  the  victim  of 
some  trickery,  some  illusion.  But  the  shreds  of  the 


LAZARUS.  351 

Temple  veil  still  hung  there,  mute  witnesses  of  what 
had  been,  and  the  crouching,  panic-stricken  multi- 
tude were  living  ones;  moreover,  they  must  have 
seen  his  horror  and  alarm. 

The  position  was  indeed  an  awful  one ;  but  there 
was  no  escaping  it :  he  must  face  it,  and  endure  the 
penalty;  for,  if  the  Nazarene  were  indeed  the  Son 
of  God,  and  if  He  should  return,  Caiaphas  would 
find  no  mercy. 

Then,  one  after  another,  people  came  with  stories 
of  graves  open  and  risen  saints,  and  heart-rending 
tales  of  the  last  hours  of  Christ — tales  in  which 
terror  had  lent  strength  to  their  imagination.  All 
was  confusion  and  horror  and  doubt  and  consterna- 
tion. 

But  Caiaphas  hurried  off  the  scribes  and  elders  to 
his  house,  lest  in  their  alarm  they  should  commit 
themselves.  The  rending  of  the  veil  was  no  easy 
matter  to  explain  away;  nor  was  the  darkness 
(earthquakes,  forsooth,  were  plenteous  enough). 

'  We  must  speak  no  word  of  this  in  the  Sanhe- 
drim, nor  amongst  the  people,"  enjoined  Caiaphas. 
'  Then  they  will  forget,  as  all  else  is  forgotten.  As 
for  those  tales  of  opened  graves,  I  believe  them  not. 
Perchance  the  earthquake  did  so  shake  the  tombs 
that,  to  the  terror-stricken  people,  the  clouds  of 
mouldering  dust  borne  upwards  by  the  wind  did  in 
the  darkness  look  like  shrouded  mortals  rising  to 
heaven.  So  must  we  tell  the  people,  for  if  the  idea 
of  the  resurrection  do  but  get  abroad  't  will  be  worse 
even  than  the  preaching  of  the  Nazarene." 

"God  forbid!"  aspired  the  elders  piously. 
"  Already  we  have  suffered  enough  through  this  one 


352  LAZARUS. 

Man ;  and  this  blinded  people  must  be  allowed  no 
more  to  think  and  reason,  and  meet  to  preach  and 
pray,  for  the  indolent  do  love  to  idle  and  to  gossip, 
and  are  readily  misled." 

Then,  lowering  his  voice,  added  another:  "  Me- 
thinks  that  Lazarus,  too,  must  needs  be  put  to 
death ;  else  will  he  follow  in  the  traditions  and  false 
doctrines  of  this  Nazarene.  Thus  peace  will  be  re- 
stored in  Israel  once  more." 

I  know  not  whether  Lazarus  be  worth  the  tumult 
that  would  ensue.  He  blasphemeth  not,  nor  calleth 
himself  the  Son  of  God,"  replied  the  High  Priest 
unctuously.  "  It  is  for  blasphemy  alone  we  cruci- 
fied this  Nazarene;  for,  in  all  else,  He  was  a  right- 
eous man ;  and  't  is  ever  a  hard  task  to  condemn  a 
man,  except  for  blasphemy." 

So  spoke  the  High  Priest,  Caiaphas.  He  had 
cheated  the  Jews,  he  had  sought  to  cheat  his  God, 
but  he  could  not  cheat  the  scribes  and  rulers,  who, 
with  words  of  farewell  and  affected  homage,  then 
dispersed. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

SO  all  was  at  an  end ;  the  Son  of  God  had  come 
and  gone,  and  few  had  known  Him;  salvation 
had  been  purchased  for  the  world ;  to  be  the  hope 
in  life,  and  the  solace  in  the  hour  of  death,  of  count- 
less thousands  yet  unborn.  The  reason  for  living 
had  been  given  to  humanity.  The  priceless  object 
of  His  incarnation  had  been  achieved.  The  agony 
of  death  the  martyrdom  of  life,  were  over.  The 
great  Spirit,  released  at  last,  had  flown  back  to  its 
Father. 

Torn  as  they  were  with  grief,  the  mourning  wo- 
men could  not  but  rejoice  that  His  long  night  was 
ended  and,  faithful  to  Him  in  His  death  as  they  had 
been  in  His  life,  they  now  thought  only  of  how  best 
to  honour  the  divine  Body  they  loved  so  well. 

Now  that  the  great  agony  of  watching  Him  was 
over,  their  thoughts  turned  to  Lazarus.  Was  he, 
too,  now  in  prison,  following  in  the  anguished  steps 
of  his  beloved  Master  ?  With  what  joy  they  saw 
him  appear  with  Joseph,  to  help  them  in  taking 
down  the  body  of  their  Christ !  Nicodemus,  grown 
fearless  through  remorse,  helped  too,  and  soon  the 
sad  procession  wound  round  the  hillock  of  Golgotha 
to  the  garden  in  which  Joseph  had  hewn  out  a  tomb. 
How  tenderly  they  bore  that  lacerated  body  to  its 
resting-place,  the  women  ever  pressing  forward,  if 
"3  353 


354  LAZARUS. 

the  beloved  head  rolled  from  side  to  side,  or  one  arm 
hung  over  ever  so  little.  They  would  give  Him, 
dead,  all  the  loving  care  they  fain  would  have  lav- 
ished on  Him  living.  With  what  love  they  washed  the 
body,  then  anointed  it  with  the  sweet  spices  brought 
by  Nicodemus!  With  what  gentle,  reverent  touch 
they  wound  round  those  sacred  limbs  the  finest  linen 
that  could  be  had !  In  death  no  one  disputed  Him 
with  them.  He  had  lived  as  a  carpenter,  they 
might  bury  Him  as  a  King.  It  was  nearly  dark 
when  they  had  finished  their  solemn  task.  The  two 
Marys  knelt  down,  intending  to  spend  the  night  in 
prayer,  while  Lazarus  and  the  disciples  watched.  A 
great  stone  had  been  rolled  before  the  sepulchre  by 
the  disciples. 

Meanwhile  Martha,  ever  anxious  over  household 
matters  and  mindful  that  she  had  been  away  from 
home  two  days,  wended  her  way  to  Bethany,  both 
to  set  matters  in  order  there,  and  also  to  prepare 
fresh  spices  with  which  to  fill  the  sepulchre  on  the 
Sabbath  morning;  for  they  knew  not  of  the  guard 
that  Pilate  had  placed  to  forbid  all  access.  On  her 
way  home  in  the  darkening  evening  she  was  joined 
at  intervals  by  friends,  sympathisers,  and  the  curi- 
ous, all  echoing  in  the  cry  which  consumed  her  in- 
wardly:  "  Dost  not  fear  now  for  Lazarus  also  ?  " 

Could  she,  she  wondered,  bear  the  loss  of  the  one 
she  held  so  dear  ?  Would  it  not  be  doubly  hard, 
now  that  all  the  world  seemed  slipping  from  her 
with  the  death  of  Him  who  had  been  her  support  so 
many  months  ?  Then  suddenly  an  idea  flashed  on 
her,  and  she  turned  in  at  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  in- 
stead of  taking  the  outer  road  to  Bethany.  Through 


LAZARUS.  355 

the  silent  streets  she  walked,  and  past  the  Temple, 
till  she  reached  the  door  of  the  house  of  Caiaphas. 

Here  she  asked  to  be  admitted  to  the  presence  of 
Rebekah,  little  guessing  in  her  ignorance,  poor  wo- 
man, the  fatal  consequences  that  would  follow. 

She  found  Rebekah  standing  by  the  window,  her 
favourite  attitude,  looking  out  upon  the  crimsoning 
sky.  Her  face  was  troubled,  yet  no  remorse  was  in 
her  gloomy  heart;  only  a  wondering  that  Lazarus 
should  have  disdained  her,  should  have  preferred 
even  the  death  of  his  Friend  to  making  her  his  wife ; 
for,  in  her  narrowed  vision,  she  failed  to  see  the 
world's  salvation  in  the  Saviour's  death. 

On  hearing  that  Martha  wished  to  see  her,  she 
was  but  slightly  moved ;  yet  who  could  tell  what 
wonders  might  still  come  about  ?  Fear,  that  incen- 
tive so  powerful  with  the  Jews,  might  have  driven 
Lazarus  to  seek  her  help.  Thus  does  a  small  mind 
measure  others  by  its  own  dimensions. 

"  I  would  speak  with  thee,"  said  the  somewhat 
authoritative  voice  of  Martha,  for  Rebekah  had  not 
even  heard  her  entrance.  "  I  would  ask  a  favour 
for  one  thou  lovest." 

Ah,  she  had  been  right!  Rebekah  turned  and 
frowned. 

"  What  dost  thou  crave  ?  "  she  rejoined  haughtily ; 
"  for  I  am  not  one  given  to  kindness." 

"  Thou  knowest  that  the  Master  is  dead." 

"The  Master?  which,  whose  Master?"  inter- 
rupted Rebekah.  "  Meanest  thou  the  Nazarene  ?" 

"  Even  so,"  said  Martha. 

"  Well,  say  on." 

"  And  it  is  rumoured  amongst  the  Jews,"  went 


356  LAZARUS. 

on  Martha,  her  task  becoming  more  difficult  as  she 
became  conscious  of  Rebekah's  want  of  sympathy, 
"  that  they  will  also  take  my  brother  Lazarus  and 
crucify  him."  Here  her  voice  trembled. 

Rebekah  thought  for  a  moment ;  then  she  shrugged 
her  shoulders.  Yet  she  had  a  liking  for  Martha. 

'  How  can  I  help  thee  ?  What  is  thy  brother  to 
me  ?  How  can  I  stay  the  Jews  ?  " 

"  But  thou  dost  love  him,"  urged  Martha  gently, 
repeating  what  to  her  had  become  the  very  essence 
of  truth,  that  to  love  much  was  to  overcome  every 
obstacle. 

I  did  love  him,"  the  other  answered,  shrugging 
her  shoulders,  "  but,  since  he  doth  not  love  me,  it 
mattereth  naught  to  me  whether  he  be  alive  or 
dead." 

'  Yet  surely  love  needeth  but  to  love,"  urged 
Martha,  little  knowing  how  wide  the  compass  she 
embraced,  imbued  as  she  was  with  the  Messiah's 
teaching.  "  Love  desireth  but  to  love." 

"  That  is  new  teaching  which  doth  savour  of  the 
Galilean  doctrine,"  replied  Rebekah.  "  Of  such  a 
love  I  know  nothing.  But  this  I  know,  that,  if  thy 
brother  will  take  the  proud  daughter  of  Caiaphas  to 
wife,  then  he  need  fear  nor  Jews  nor  Romans,  but 
be  safe  always." 

Then  Martha  spoke  the  words  which  though  she 
knew  it  not  were  later  to  return  to  her  with  all  the 
bitterness  of  death. 

"  How  can  he  wed  thee,  maiden,  seeing  that  he 
loveth  another  ? " 

Words  of  truth  from  one  who,  through  daily  con- 
tact with  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  could  not  lie;  yet 


LAZARUS.  357 

Martha  would  have  recalled  them,  when  she  saw  the 
burst  of  rage  and  bitterness  they  called  forth. 

"  Loves  another!  "  cried  Rebekah.  "  Thy 
brother  Lazarus  doth  love  another  ?  He  who,  we 
thought,  did  so  disdain  me  because  his  heart  was 
given  to  good  works  ?  Dost  speak  the  truth  ?  Is 
it  for  this  that  I  must  save  him,  to  give  him  to  some 
other  woman  ?  By  the  beard  of  Aaron,  Martha, 
thou  knowest  me  not,  to  ask  me  such  a  thing.  Per- 
chance I  would  have  given  him  up  to  lead  a  life  of 
purity  and  sacrifice.  If  so  be  that  he  believeth  that 
this  Man  is  the  Son  of  God,  he  doeth  well  to  worship 
Him.  But,  if  the  stainless  Lazarus  can  love  an 
earthly  woman,  then  I  will  be  that  woman,  or  he 
shall  die.  Dost  hear,  woman  ?  Either  thy  brother 
Lazarus  doth  wed  me,  or  he  dieth." 

Fear  and  horror  fell  on  Martha.  What  horrible 
perplexity  was  this  ?  Would  that  she  had  never 
come !  Of  a  truth  the  Lord  had  said  that  she  was 
over-troubled  about  many  things.  She  had  sought 
the  proud  maiden  in  order  to  help  her  brother, 
and  now  it  seemed  that  she  had  but  increased  his 
peril. 

'  Who  is  this  woman  that  thy  brother  loveth  ?  " 
asked  Rebekah  scornfully. 

"  Nay,  but  I  cannot  tell  thee  that,  proud  maiden. 
It  seemeth  me  that  I  have  already  told  too  much. 
I  will  go  home,  for  I  am  very  weary,  and  at  dawn  I 
must  bring  spices  to  the  sepulchre  of  my  Lord,  for 
't  is  the  Sabbath.  Farewell,  maiden ;  methinks  that 
still  thy  love  will  triumph  over  this  tempting  of  the 
devil.  Thou  wilt  yet  think  of  my  poor  brother  and 
of  his  two  sisters  whose  lives  are  bound  up  in  his, 


358  LAZARUS. 

and  of  her  that  trusteth  him,  and,  therefore,  thou 
wilt  entreat  thy  father  for  him." 

"  I  care  not  whether  thy  brother  live  or  die. 
Henceforward  he  is  naught  to  me  but  a  perverse  and 
wretched,  misguided  ruler,"  said  Rebekah  angrily. 
"  Now  leave  me,  ere  I  say  that  which  will  grieve 
thee  more."  And  Martha  turned  away,  and  with  a 
heavy  heart  regained  the  road  to  Bethany. 

And,  the  moment  she  had  left  the  room,  Re- 
bekah, murmured  to  herself  through  clenched  teeth  : 
"  Would  that  I  knew  this  woman  whom  he  loveth, 
that  I  might  slay  her!  " 


CHAPTER   XL. 

AT  Bethany  nearly  all  the  night  had  been  spent 
in  prayer.  Not  only  were  they  overwhelmed 
with  grief  at  the  crucifixion  of  the  Lord,  but  they 
feared  also  that  other  terrible  events  would  follow. 
Lazarus  was  conscious  that,  in  a  humble  way,  he 
would  have  to  travel  in  the  footsteps  of  his  Lord, 
and  he  was  troubled  with  the  thought  of  how  the 
Master  would  wish  him  to  proceed. 

A  little  troop  of  friends  and  believers  had  visited 
him  that  night,  and  laid  before  him  a  plan  for  his 
escape,  should  his  life  be  placed  in  peril;  and  it 
seemed  to  Lazarus  that  to  leave  Judaea  would  be  his 
only  way  of  continuing  to  testify  to  the  wondrous 
miracles  by  which  it  had  been  proved  beyond  dis- 
pute that  the  Messiah  had  indeed  visited  the  earth. 
Already  steps  were  being  taken  by  Caiaphas  and 
Annas  to  prevent  the  scribes  from  making  any  records 
of  these  events;  and,  although  those  of  the  disciples 
who  could  write  had  assidiously  noted  day  by  day 
each  event  and  word  and  act,  still  if,  as  was  to  be 
feared,  they  should  be  massacred,  who  could  tell 
into  whose  hands  their  notes  might  fall,  or  how  they 
might  be  altered  and  corrupted  ?  To  one  who  had 
once  died,  and  knew  a  little  of  the  world  beyond  the 
grave,  death  held  fewer  horrors  than  did  life ;  there- 
fore to  leave  his  home  and  his  beloved  country,  with 

359 


360  LAZARUS. 

all  its  tender  memories,  and  thus  preserve  his  life, 
would  be  to  Lazarus  a  greater  sacrifice  than  to  lay  it 
down. 

With  the  first  cold  rays  of  the  rising  sun  that  stole 
into  the  room  in  which  the  three  were  seated  with 
some  of  the  disciples,  their  thoughts  turned  to  the 
sepulchre,  and  they  fell  to  reflecting  how  the  sweet 
face  looked  after  its  first  night  of  repose.  With 
eager  restlessness,  Martha  set  about  putting  together 
the  spices  and  essences  she  had  prepared  to  take  to 
the  sepulchre  that  morning. 

A  hurried  step  was  heard  without  the  door,  and 
the  Magdalene,  tired  and  flushed,  but  with  exulta- 
tion in  her  eyes,  rushed  in. 

'  The  Lord  is  risen!  "  she  cried.  '  The  Lord  is 
risen !  Who  then  dare  deny  that  He  is  God  ?  " 

Then,  while  the  others  pressed  round  to  listen  to 
her  tale,  Lazarus  called  to  Peter  and  John,  and  said  : 
"  Let  us  hasten  to  the  sepulchre,  for  I  fearsome 
artifice  of  the  Romans.  Therefore  did  they  set  a 
seal,  to  rob  the  Lord  of  a  King's  burial." 

And  so,  still  doubting, — as  even  the  redeemed  will 
doubt  to  the  end  of  time,  sitting  in  darkness  and 
straining  through  the  glass  that  they  themselves 
have  dimmed  by  superstition,  by  infidelity,  by  self- 
raised  complications, — they  hurried  down  the  hill. 
Yes,  Lazarus,  who  himself  had  risen,  could  barely 
accept  the  rising  of  the  Lord. 

The  Magdalene  called  after  them  in  vain.  "  Nay, 
if  they  had  but  stayed  to  hear  my  tale,  they  had  not 
need  to  fear  or  hurry  so,"  she  said. 

Then,  when  Mary  and  Martha  and  their  house- 
hold questioned  her,  she  told  them  of  her  dismay 


LAZARUS.  361 

when  she  had  come  to  the  sepulchre  and  found  the 
body  gone,  and  how,  in  the  semi-darkness,  she  had 
not  recognised  the  Lord,  till  she  had  heard  His  voice 
say:  "  Mary." 

At  the  memory  of  this  she  fell  upon  her  knees 
and  cried  out:  "  Who  am  I,  who  am  I,  that  the 
Master  should  thus  speak  to  me  and  say,  '  Woman, 
why  weepest  thou  ? '  Oh,  Martha,  where  is  now 
the  sting  of  death,  or  the  grave's  bitterness  ?  All 
life,  henceforth,  is  one  great  truth,  that  riseth  like  a 
wall  of  strength  against  man's  scheming  wicked- 
ness." 

And  a  great  silence  fell  on  all  around,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  certainty  of  resurrection,  the  proof  of  a 
beyond. 

Then,  after  a  few  moments,  one  voice  after  another 
clamoured  for  further  details. 

'  What  spake  He  unto  thee  ? "  asked  one. 
"  How  looked  He?" 

"  How  can  I  tell  thee  ?"  answered  Mary;  "  for 
words  do  fail  me  when  I  think  of  the  love  and  beauty 
of  that  face  that  is  always  beautiful.  I,  in  my  fool- 
ishness, made  as  though  I  would  clasp  His  feet  in 
tenderness  and  love.  But  while  I  did  so,  He  seemed 
to  vanish  from  my  touch,  and  in  gentlest  tones  He 
said :  '  Touch  Me  not ;  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to 
My  Father:  but  go  to  My  brethren,  and  say  unto 
them,  I  ascend  unto  My  Father,  and  your  Father; 
and  to  My  God,  and  your  God.'  And  obediently 
and  silently  I  came  hither,  according  to  His  word, 
to  tell  the  great  news  to  the  brethren  and  to  the 
whole  world,  that  the  Christ  is  risen  indeed." 


CHAPTER   XLI. 

PALE-FACED,  excited,  with  dishevelled   hair, 
Claudia  rushed  to  her  husband's  room,  with 
the  news  brought  to  her  by  the  slaves. 

Hast  heard  ?     He  is  risen!     He  is  risen!  "  she 
cried  excitedly. 

No  need  to  give  name,  for  Pilate,  ever  straight- 
forward, made  no  pretence  of  not  knowing  whom 
she  meant.  Yet  no  terror  seized  him ;  rather  a  look 
of  triumph  lit  up  his  features. 

"  Is  it  even  so  ?  "  he  questioned  calmly. 

"  Speakestthou  thus?"  exclaimed  Claudia  angrily ; 
"  dost  not  fear  that  some  evil  shall  befall  us  for  this 
thing?" 

'  Nay,  I  fear  naught,  for  naught  that  can  befall 
me  can  be  worse  than  the  dull  ache  which  gnaweth 
at  my  heart,  which  will  ache  for  evermore."  Then, 
rising  from  his  bench,  he  exclaimed  in  a  changed 
tone:  "  Yet  how  knowest  thou  that  this  thing  is 
true  ?  How  knowest  thou  not  that  either  this  Man's 
followers  seek  once  more  to  bewitch  the  world,  or 
that  Caiaphas  hath  not  some  plot  of  base  deceit 
with  which  he  too  would  blind  the  eyes  of  the  Jews  ? 
I  will  at  once  to  my  bath  and  go  myself  and  see  into 
this  thing;  and,  if  it  be  true,  't  is  I,  Pilate,  who  will 
be  the  first  to  tell  that  priest  of  hell,  and  mark  the 
grinning  infamy  of  his  foul  smile  of  dread.  Ah, 

362 


LAZARUS.  363 

't  will  be  sweet  to  me,  and  such  moments  will  be 
rare  henceforth." 

"  'T  is  verily  true,"  said  Claudia;  "  for  the  Mag- 
dalene and  Mary  have  seen  Him,  and  He  hath 
spoken  with  them ;  and  they  say  that  He  hath  sent 
a  wondrous  message  to  the  whole  world. ' ' 

Hastily  Pilate  dressed  and  left  the  house  without 
his  usual  guard. 

For  all  it  was  so  early,  he  yet  found  Caiaphas 
dressed  and  busy  writing,  and  he  could  not  but  ad- 
mire the  power  and  energy  of  the  man.  A  great 
uneasiness  seized  the  heart  of  Caiaphas  at  this  early, 
unexpected  visit,  for,  since  the  condemnation  of 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  he  had  felt  ever  a  great  restless- 
ness and  anxiety  he  could  not  account  for,  a  dread 
of  some  catastrophe  whose  nature  he  could  not 
forecast.  Yet,  when  he  rose,  he  sought  to  hide  his 
fears. 

How  may  I  serve  thee  ?  "  he  inquired,  his  face 
taking  on  the  smile  that  so  exasperated  Pilate. 

'"  Methought  I  would  be  the  first  to  tell  thee  some 
strange  news,"  said  Pilate,  in  that  taunting  tone 
which  in  one  less  noble-hearted  would  have  marked 
the  bully.  '  The  Nazarene  hath  risen !  Even  now 
He  walketh  about  Jerusalem,  as  though  thou  hadst 
never  hated  Him  and  I  had  never  allowed  Him  to 
be  condemned.  At  any  moment  He  may  appear  to 
thee  and  me,  and  woe  betide  us  both." 

'T  is  a  lie!  "  gasped  Caiaphas  hoarsely,  clutch- 
ing at  his  table,  yet  failing  to  find  it  in  his  perturba- 
tion ;  his  fingers  seemed  to  clasp  and  unclasp  the  air 
behind  him. 

"  Thou  were  ever  courteous,"  answered  Pilate, 


364  LAZARUS. 

14  but  we  Romans  lie  not ;  we  leave  that  to  the  Jews, 
who  surpass  in  that  all  other  nations." 

Unmindful  of  the  taunt,  Caiaphas  stood  silent. 
Could  this  that  he  had  just  heard  be  true,  or  was 
Pilate  mocking  him  ?  Or  was  it  some  pretended 
miracle  ?  Dismay  and  fear  showed  on  his  counten- 
ance, for  his  sense  of  justice  told  him  that,  if  God 
meant  vengeance,  it  would  fall  heavily  on  him. 

'T  is  some  witchery  in  which  thou  hast  helped, ' ' 
he  burst  out  at  last,  no  longer  able  to  control  the 
torrent  of  hate  and  wrath  he  felt  against  the  Naza- 
rene,  Pilate,  the  whole  world.  "  It  is  some  witchery 
of  thine  own  soldiers.  Therefore  didst  thou  allow 
Joseph  of  Arimathaea  to  take  away  the  body.  Thou 
art  a  traitor  to  thy  Emperor.  Thou  hast  ever  tried 
to  mock  me  since  thou  wert  Procurator  here,  and  I 
will  write  to  Caesar." 

14  See  that  thou  write  in  Latin,  and  not  in 
Hebrew,"  said  Pilate,  laughing  at  the  priest's  petu- 
lance; "  and  send  it  not  by  a  Roman  soldier. 

.  .  Ha!  Ha!  thou  art  indeed  afraid,  poor 
Caiaphas,  of  this  carpenter's  Son."  Then,  chang- 
ing his  tone,  he  added:  "  Thou  wouldst  not  fear 
Him  so,  great  Caiaphas,  were  it  not  that  thou 
knowest  He  is  the  stronger.  He  is  stronger  than 
art  thou,  be  He  God  or  not.  His  heart  is  pure  and 
noble,  and  true  and  wide,  wide  as  the  ocean ;  and 
thou,  thou  art  a  base,  plotting,  deceiving  little 
hound  of  a  Jew,  with  a  mind  as  narrow  as  that." 
And  with  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  his  right 
hand  he  portioned  off  the  tiniest  tip  of  the  little 
finger  of  his  left  hand.  "  And  thy  soul,  if  thou 
hast  indeed  a  soul,  is  foul,  like  water  into  which 


LAZARUS.  365 

men  have  spat ;  and  them  wouldst  deceive  the  whole 
nation  for  thy  own  power's  sake,  and  thou  wouldst 
hound  pure-living  souls  to  their  destruction,  so  that 
thou  and  thy  tool,  Annas,  may  hold  in  chains  each 
Jewish  heart;  and,  when  thou  diest — as  thou  must 
surely  die — to  thee  it  will  not  matter  whether  or  not 
there  be  a  resurrection,  for  thou  wilt  never  rise  again, 
since  neither  heaven  nor  hell  could  hold  so  base  a 
soul.  So  now  thou  knowest,  Caiaphas,  what  I 
think  of  thee,  and  with  that  I  bid  thee  farewell. 
Henceforward,  except  in  the  Sanhedrim,  we  shall 
meet  no  more,  for  Romans  like  not  cowards ;  and,  if 
there  be  a  resurrection,  all  I  pray  is  that  thou  and  I 
may  never  meet  at  it." 

With  these  words,  Pilate  left  the  room,  and  the 
little  priest,  who  was  huddled  up  in  his  seat,  and 
looking  more  like  ape  than  exasperated  man,  and 
so  amazed,  so  swelling  with  rage  and  hate,  that  voice 
and  tongue  refused  their  office. 

And,  when  Pilate  had  reached  the  street,  he  raised 
his  head  and  took  a  long,  deep  breath,  as  though  he 
had  been  inspiring  in  the  High  Priest's  chamber 
some  foul,  death-dealing  gas. 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

AS  rapidly  as  possible  Lazarus  sent  messengers 
from  one  disciple  to  another,  bidding  them  as- 
semble at  a  given  place  in  Jerusalem,  in  case  the 
Lord  should  appear  to  them.  He  had  chosen  the 
house  of  a  trusted  friend,  and,  at  the  given  hour, 
all,  except  Thomas,  who  could  not  be  found,  as- 
sembled. They  came  in  singly,  at  short  intervals, 
lest  they  should  attract  attention,  and  be  massacred 
before  they  could  perform  their  Lord's  command  to 
spread  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  throughout  the 
world.  When  all  had  come,  the  doors  were  shut 
and  barred ;  then  all  knelt,  and  Lazarus  raised  a 
prayer  that,  if  it  were  God's  will,  it  might  be  granted 
them  to  see  the  Lord  once  more;  also  that  they 
might  be  quickened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  Jesus 
had  promised  should  be  shed  upon  them. 

And,  while  he  prayed,  the  room,  that  had  been 
almost  dark,  seemed  to  grow  lighter  and  ever  lighter. 
The  lightness  was  no  natural  one,  for  its  source  was 
not  apparent.  It  seemed  to  gather  of  itself  and 
gradually  to  form  a  column  of  surpassing  radiance 
in  the  centre  of  the  room.  Suddenly,  in  the  midst 
of  it  appeared  the  figure  of  the  Lord. 

So  sudden  and  unexpected  was  His  coming,  so 
dazzling  was  the  brightness  of  His  visage,  that  they 
all  fell  upon  their  faces,  half  in  worship,  half  in  awe. 

366 


LAZARUS.  367 

Then,  on  the  throbbing  silence,  words  arose  that 
were  to  be  treasured  up  through  life  and  death,  till 
they  should  be  heard  once  more  within  the  gates 
of  heaven:  "  Peace  be  unto  you." 

And,  while  He  spoke,  He  raised  His  hand,  that 
they  might  recognise  Him  by  the  cruel  marks  of  the 
nails. 

Then  again,  with  deep  solemnity,  He  said,  "  Peace 
be  unto  you."  And  with  His  hand  He  pointed  to 
His  side,  the  side  which  Pilate,  out  of  mercy,  had 
ordered  to  be  pierced.  "  As  My  Father  hath  sent 
Me,  even  so  send  I  you." 

Then,  in  the  midst  of  the  utter  silence,  it  seemed 
that  He  heaved  a  sigh,  and  that  from  those  lips 
there  issued  some  holy  essence  which,  in  the  semi- 
darkness,  took  the  image  of  a  golden  dove.  At  the 
same  moment  the  voice  of  Jesus  rose  distinct  and 
clear:  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 

And,  at  these  words,  it  was  as  though  lips  and 
heart  had  been  smitten  with  a  lightning  flash,  and  a 
curtain  rolled  away  from  before  brain  and  soul. 
And  then  a  great  peace  fell  on  them  softly,  like 
evening  dew  on  moss,  and  Life  and  Death  and  Im- 
mortality and  Faith  and  Christ  had  become  certain- 
ties for  evermore.  And  all  the  earth  seemed  alive 
with  whirring,  rushing  sounds  of  wings  that  filled 
the  heart  with  breezy  gladness. 

Then,  in  the  gloaming  of  that  spring  evening,  He 
led  them  forth,  as  heretofore  to  Bethany,  where  He 
had  ever  loved  to  be;  and,  in  those  last  hours  of 
sweet  companionship,  He  unfolded  to  them  many 
things  that  they  could  now  the  better  understand— 
things  that  before  had  seemed  mysterious  and  unreal 


368  LAZARUS. 

— how  that  each  incident  of  His  Passion  had  been 
foretold  by  Moses  and  the  prophets.  Then  many 
matters  that  to  them  had  seemed  inexplicable  stood 
out  bold  and  clear  before  their  understanding,  amaz- 
ing them  with  their  simplicity.  And  then  He  vested 
them  with  power  over  serpents  and  evil  spirits  and 
to  heal  disease,  and  further,  to  pardon  sins  and  to 
perform  miracles ;  and  He  bid  them  bear  true  wit- 
ness of  what  they  had  seen  and  heard,  and  to  preach 
repentance  and  remission  of  sins. 

Then  from  before  the  eyes  of  Lazarus  there 
seemed  to  rise  a  veil,  and  he  saw  with  unerring 
vision  that  as  he  had  once  died  to  witness  to  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  so  now  he  was  to  live  to  show  it  forth. 

They  reached  Lazarus's  garden,  and  there  fell  in 
adoring  worship  at  His  feet,  pouring  out  their  hearts 
in  gratitude  for  all  that  He  had  done  for  them ;  and 
Mary  Magdalene,  with  faced  bowed  to  the  ground, 
cried  out:  "  For  my  sins,  my  Saviour,  wast  Thou 
crucified;  for  my  sins,  for  my  sins!  " 

Then,  in  one  last  great  act  of  love,  He  stretched 
forth  His  hand  and  blessed  them  with  a  blessing 
that  should  protect  and  guide  them  for  evermore, 
and  stamp  them  with  the  seal  of  heaven. 

The  faint  odours  of  budding  flowers,  the  gentle 
breeze  that  seemed  to  soften  the  chill  of  spring  and 
to  waft  into  it  a  breath  of  summer ;  the  dull  glow 
that  was  neither  light  nor  darkness;  a  strange  burn- 
ing of  dread  and  expectancy  in  their  hearts;  the 
hush  of  nature,  as  if  all  living  things  were  listening 
to  the  choir  of  angels  waiting  to  welcome  the  coming 
of  their  Lord — all  these  combined  to  stamp  the 
scene  upon  the  disciples'  minds  forever. 


LAZARUS.  369 

One  last  parting  look,  and  a  great  tearing  of  the 
heart-strings ;  and  then,  like  a  streak  of  roseate  efful- 
gence borrowed  from  the  dying  sunset,  the  Divine 
Figure  floated  upwards ;  and  as  He  rose,  His  hands, 
uplifted  in  one  last  blessing,  showed  the  imprints  of 
the  lacerating  nails.  And  while  they  gazed  with  up- 
turned faces  to  the  sky,  they  sank  once  more  upon 
their  knees,  a  strange  radiance  lighting  up  their 
faces  and  shining  all  around;  and  a  cry  went  up: 
"  Glory  to  God,  Glory  to  God  on  earth!  " 

And  angel  voices  echoed  :  "  Glory  to  God  in 
heaven ! ' ' 

And  the  stupendous  act  of  man's  redemption  was 
accomplished. 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

THE  Magdalene  alone  seemed  inconsolable  at  the 
departure  of  the  Christ.  The  links  between 
her  and  the  Nazarene  had  been  the  strongest  that 
could  be  forged — those  that  bind  a  saved  soul  to  its 
saviour.  He  had  raised  the  drooping  soul,  He  had 
sanctified  her  the  Jews  called  unholy,  He  had  placed 
her  feet  on  a  sure  foundation ;  and  He  was  associated 
with  the  great  redeeming  joy  of  her  life,  the  possi- 
bility of  beginning  again — a  chance  the  world  rarely 
gives.  She  had  few  relatives,  and  those  she  had 
had  cast  her  off  as  an  unclean  thing. 

Too  many  events  had  supervened  since  the  journey 
to  Golgotha  to  permit  Lazarus  to  give  more  than  a 
passing  thought  to  that  betrayal  of  her  innermost 
heart  when  she  had  feared  that  he  was  being  drag- 
ged off  to  condemnation.  But  now  the  intimate 
life  with  the  human  Christ  was  over,  and  life  must 
needs  fall  back  into  its  old  routine,  but  with  an 
added  hope,  a  great  comfort,  a  great  promise,  that 
would  sustain  and  sweeten  it,  and  make  its  burden 
lighter.  A  great  work  lay  before  all  who  had  be- 
lieved in  the  Nazarene,  had  known  Him  to  be  the 
Christ — the  work  of  testifying;  and  this  none  so 
well  as  Lazarus  could  perform.  And  this  possibly, 
nay,  almost  certainly,  would  mean  death — death  in 
its  most  hideous  and  torturing  form.  On  one  point 

370 


LAZARUS.  371 

his  mind  was  irrevocably  fixed,  all  his  possessions 
should  be  given  to  the  poor ;  he  would  but  keep  a 
cottage  for  his  sisters,  if  so  be  they  would  not  join 
him ;  all  else  should  go,  all  that  he  had  so  greatly 
treasured.  Then  what  would  remain  for  him  to 
offer  to  the  Magdalene  ?  A  great  personal  love  and 
a  share  in  his  Christ-work.  That  would  be  all.  No 
thought  of  self  must  ever  enter  either  heart ;  her  only 
temporal  reward  would  be  her  re-instatement  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world. 

Her  words  appealed  to  every  sentiment  of  chivalry 
and  romance  in  him,  when,  at  nightfall,  she  bade 
farewell  to  them.  '  Ye  have  been  very  good  to 
me,  Martha  and  Mary,"  she  began,  while  her  tears 
fell  fast.  '  Ye  have  suffered  me  to  be  with  you 
much,  and  have  loved  me  for  the  dear  Lord's  sake; 
but  I  am  but  a  poor  sinner  and  I  must  come  no 
more.  Henceforth  I  will  go  about  my  Saviour's  busi- 
ness. I  will  seek  other  sinning  women  and  tell  them 
of  the  Christ,  and  I  will  minister  to  the  mother  of 
the  Master." 

Then,  with  loving  tenderness  Lazarus  took  her 
hand.  "  Magdalene,"  he  said,  "  thou  wast  beloved 
of  the  Lord  and  favoured  by  Him  above  all  other 
women ;  I  too  will  work  with  thee,  if  thou  wilt  let 
me.  I  will  sell  all  I  have,  and  will  follow  Him  with 
thee.  Together  we  will  journey  hither  and  thither, 
without  scrip  or  purse,  and,  like  our  dear  Master, 
we  will  have  nowhere  to  lay  our  heads.  Every- 
where we  will  testify  of  Him,  but  together  in  the 
Lord.  Wilt  have  me,  Mary,  for  thy  husband  ? ' ' 
And  in  her  eyes  he  saw  her  answer  and  the  radiant 
gratitude  of  her  re-awakened  soul,  that  shone  like 
beacons  in  her  lovely  eyes. 


3/2  LAZARUS. 

"  Surely  I  am  blessed  above  all  women!  "  mur- 
mured the  Magdalene.  But,  while  they  spoke,  a 
horse's  hoofs  resounded  on  the  distant  road,  echoing 
freely  on  the  stilly  night. 

"  A  messenger  from  Pontius  Pilate,"  said  the 
servant ;  and  instinctively  the  Magdalene  drew  nearer 
to  Lazarus. 

"  Whom  seek  ye  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  Lazarus,  the  ruler,"  replied  the  man,  making 
obeisance.  Then,  drawing  his  arm  through  the 
bridle  of  his  horse,  he  whispered,  looking  round: 
'  I  would  speak  with  thee  privately,  for  the  Gover- 
nor hath  not  dared  to  put  this  thing  on  paper.  He 
would  warn  thee  that,  ere  coming  morn,  thou  do 
depart ;  for  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  have 
heard  how  that  the  Christ  hath  been  seen  in  nine 
places  since  His  death ;  and  Pilate  doth  fear  greatly 
that  if  they  find  thee  they  will  kill  thee." 

"  Greet  the  most  noble  Pilate,  and  thank  him  for 
that  he  hath  warned  me ;  tell  him  that  we  will  try 
to  depart,  if  so  be  that,  after  prayer,  we  are  minded 
that  our  Master  Jesus  doth  so  command.  But  if  so 
be  that  death  should  overtake  us,  tell  him  that  we 
fear  it  not,  and  that  we  are  ever  grateful  for  his  re- 
membrance, and  will  pray  for  him." 

Then,  while  the  soldier  was  departing,  Lazarus 
turned  to  the  Magdalene. 

"  Art  thou  still  so  minded,"  said  he,  "  that  thou 
wouldst  have  me  for  thy  husband  ?  The  persecution 
hath  already  begun,  and  henceforth  there  will  be  no 
rest  or  peace  for  them  who  serve  the  Lord.  Art  not 
afraid  ? " 

With  a  proud,  loving  gesture,  the  Magdalene  an- 


LAZARUS.  373 

swered :  "  With  thee  I  fear  naught,  Lazarus;  for  the 
Spirit  of  God  will  be  with  us  always,  even  to  the  end 
of  the  world." 

Then,  as  the  hour  was  late,  she  hurried  down  the 
hill  towards  Jerusalem,  her  heart  overflowing  with 
the  joy  that  filled  it. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

ENFOLDED  in  the  intoxicating  elation  of  earthly 
bliss,  that  did  not  crowd  out  her  peaceful  trust 
and  thankfulness  and  adoration  as  regards  the  Christ, 
the  Magdalene  walked  quickly  on.  Already  the 
thrills  of  terrestrial  joy,  for  which  her  earthly  heart 
was  still  most  fitted,  were  soothing  the  graver  griefs 
of  separation  from  the  Christ,  and  she  sped  fearlessly 
along  the  by-path  of  the  Jericho  road.  It  was  later 
than  she  thought.  Olive  and  cactus,  prickly  pear 
and  pomegranate  trees,  all  were  growing  grey  and 
dark ;  and,  as  now  and  then  she  lifted  her  eyes  and 
tried  to  pierce  the  deepening  gloom,  great  shadows 
rose  in  front  of  her,  like  screens  of  night-clouds, 
against  which  it  seemed  she  must  strike  her  body, 
till  she  came  close  to  them  and  saw  their  nothing- 
ness swallowed  up  in  farther  deeps  of  shadows ;  and 
above,  the  glow,  that  had  seemed  like  the  eternal 
eye  of  God,  grew  dimmer  too,  and  it  was  really 
night. 

Presently  she  became  conscious  of  a  strange  fear 
— not  of  earthly  things,  but  of  something  about  to 
happen.  As  a  new  terror  crept  into  her  heart,  so  a 
voice  seemed  to  whisper,  "  Fear  not!  Fear  not!  " 

Almost  she  felt  a  supernatural  presence  walking 
by  her  side.  Was  it  fancy,  or  was  there  really  in 
the  darkness  a  faint,  golden  light,  like  atoms  of 

374 


LAZARUS.  375 

heaven-sent  glory  ?  Accustomed  as  she  had  been 
to  miracles  and  incomprehensible  events,  made  be- 
lievable only  by  the  assurance  of  a  great  faith  and 
the  daily  presence  of  Divinity,  little  wonder  that  she 
strove  to  still  the  beatings  of  her  heart,  to  hear 
whether  voice  of  angel  spoke.  Her  soul  and  heart 
seemed  to  grow  hollow  and  vaulted  and  expectant, 
as  if  emptying  themselves  to  make  room  for  some 
great  presence  to  hold  the  voice  of  God ;  and  yet  she 
sped  on,  fearful  of  she  knew  not  what.  Why  did 
the  words  of  the  Crucified  Saviour  haunt  her?  The 
words  He  had  murmured  through  His  dying  agony 
to  the  thief  that  suffered  too :  "  This  day  shalt  thou 
be  with  Me  in  paradise !  "  Why  in  the  darkness  did 
she  see,  as  it  had  stood  before  her  on  the  darkening 
mount  of  Calvary,  the  beauteous  divine  face  looking 
upward  ? 

For  an  instant  she  doubted  whether  she  had  sinned 
in  loving  Lazarus.  Then  all  her  terrors  and  her 
doubts  were  brought  to  a  sudden  ending  at  the 
sound  of  a  voice  close  by. 

'  Woman!  "  it  said.  'T  was  a  voice  she  knew, 
but  not  a  voice  divine,  nor  of  a  friend,  nor  yet  of 
man.  A  woman's  voice,  deep  with  set  purpose, 
wrung  with  hate,  and  hoarse  with  loathing.  '  Wo- 
man, I  would  speak  with  thee!  " 

Then  all  the  fearlessness  of  a  noble  nature  depend- 
ent on  divine  support  returned. 

"  What  wouldst  thou  ?  Who  art  thou?  "  asked 
the  Magdalene. 

"  I  am  the  daughter  of  Caiaphas;  and  thou,  thou 
art  the  affianced  wife  of  Lazarus.  Is  not  that  so  ?  " 

"  'T  is  even  so,"  said  the  Magdalene,  in  a  sweet, 


LAZARUS. 

low  voice,  all  the  gladness  of  that  bright  reality  and 
her  true  love  ringing  in  her  answer. 

She  was  close  now  to  the  dark,  veiled  woman  who 
faced  her.  The  two  stood  on  the  pathway,  unable 
to  distinguish  one  another's  faces,  barely  the  outline 
of  each  other's  figures;  only  their  voices  and  the 
faint  rustle  of  their  clinging  garments  proving  the 
presence  of  two  human  beings  in  that  solitary  spot. 

"  Dost  know  that  I,  too,  loved  Lazarus,  whom 
thou  hast  filched  from  me?"  asked  Rebekah 
fiercely. 

"  Alas!  I  know  that  thou  dost  love  him,  and  I 
grieve  for  thee,  fair  maiden,"  replied  the  Magda- 
lene. "  But  thou  wouldst  not  grudge  the  poor,  sin- 
ning, penitent  Magdalene  one  little  ray  of  joy  in  her 
sad  life.  I  have  loved  Lazarus  dearly  for  many 
years ;  yet  it  never  seemed  to  me  that  I,  the  harlot, 
should  have  such  joy  as  to  wed  Lazarus;  and  it 
never  could  have  been,  but  that  the  Lord  forgave 
me  and  washed  me  from  my  sins." 

'  Thou  shalt  not  wed  Lazarus,"  cried  out  Re- 
bekah, raising  her  hand  as  if  to  strike  the  Magda- 
lene. "  I  tell  thee  thou  shalt  not,  thou  shalt  not;  I 
will  not  have  it." 

"  Believe  me,  maiden,  I  feel  much  for  your  grief; 
but,  if  I  wed  not  Lazarus,  he  will  not  wed  another ; 
why  then  be  jealous  of  one  so  lowly  as  thy  servant 
Mary?" 

"  I  will  not  have  thy  pity,"  cried  Rebekah,  be- 
yond herself.  '  Who  art  thou  to  dare  to  pity  the 
High  Priest's  daughter  ?  Thou  sinning  harlot,  who 
wert  derided  of  all  men  and  women,  till  this  half- 
mad  Nazarene  appeared  and  made  a  pastime  of  the 


LAZARUS.  377 

companionship  of  sinners,  because  none  other  would 
believe  on  Him." 

"  'T  is  true  I  was  a  sinner  and  a  harlot,"  replied 
the  Magdalene,  with  downcast  eyes  and  sweet,  sad 
voice.  "  1 was ;  but  there  is  that  in  the  power  of 
God  that  can  wipe  out  all  sin  and  set  one,  with  clean 
feet,  afresh  along  a  new  path  of  life,  that  is  all  joy, 
and  peace,  and  faith,  and  happiness,  and  love." 

"Believest  thou  this  ?  "  asked  Rebekah  musingly. 
Then,  with  renewed  wrath  and  infinite  scorn,  she 
added:  "  Ah,  't  is  easy  for  thee  to  talk  of  all  this 
inward  joy  when  Lazarus  is  thy  affianced  bride- 
groom, and  he  loveth  thee;  but  tell  me,  if  I  took 
him  from  thee,  and  if  he  left  thee,  or  if  he  died,  or 
if  he  loved  another,  what  wouldst  thou  say  then  ? 
Wouldst  still  have  inward  joy  and  peace  and  trust  ?  " 

The  night  was  growing  chilly,  and  a  shiver  struck 
the  Magdalene's  heart  at  Rebekah's  words.  She 
paused  a  moment  to  reflect  what  she  would  do  if  the 
newly  opened  doors  of  her  heart  were  shut  to  again. 

If  Lazarus  should  die!  It  was  as  if  her  heart 
fluttered  and  fainted  within  her,  and  as  if  from  the 
ebbings  of  her  swooning  mind  there  rose  up  mystic 
music  on  the  night  air,  that  only  she  could  hear  or 
understand : 

"  Yea,  I  will  be  with  you  always,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world." 

Then,  with  strengthened  spirit,  she  raised  her 
head  and  looked  outwards  in  the  gloom,  towards 
where  she  fancied  the  eyes  of  Rebekah  were  looking 
for  her  answer,  and  she  said :  "Yea,  even  if  I  should 
lose  Lazarus,  if  he  should  die,  or  love  another,  I 
would  still  believe  and  love  the  Lord.' 


3/8  LAZARUS. 

While  she  spoke,  Rebekah  uttered  not  a  word, 
and  all  nature,  the  creeping  things  of  night,  the 
humming,  buzzing  things  that  hang  on  trees  and 
boughs,  all  seemed  to  hush  to  do  obeisance  to  the 
soul  the  Lord  had  won. 

Then,  like  a  beacon  from  heaven,  a  faint  moon 
crept  out  from  behind  the  clouds,  so  that  the  two 
women  could  just  discern  each  other  on  the  path- 
way; and  the  Magdalene  looking,  saw  the  face  of 
Rebekah  glowing  with  anger,  distorted  by  a  sullen 
despair  and  wounded  vanity  and  wrath ;  and,  in  her 
heart,  there  rose  a  tender  feeling  for  this  woman, 
who  loved  and  was  not  loved  by  Lazarus.  And  all 
this  time  Rebekah's  arm  was  beating  with  strange, 
nervous  movement  beneath  her  cloak.  She  found  it 
hard  to  anger  herself  with  one  so  meek  and  gentle  as 
Mary  Magdalene ;  but  the  fierce,  unrelenting,  domi- 
neering spirit  of  Caiaphas  was  strong  within  her. 
To  be  spurned  by  Lazarus,  triumphed  over  by  a 
harlot,  how  could  so  proud  a  nature  brook  such 
ignominy  ? 

"Am  I  not  as  beautiful  as  thou  ?"  she  asked, 
turning,  while  she  did  so,  without  knowing  it,  her 
beautiful  face  upward  toward  the  moon.  "  Why 
should  Lazarus  not  love  me  ?  " 

"  Thou  art  indeed  more  beautiful  than  I,"  replied 
the  Magdalene;  "  but  who  can  direct  love  ?  " 

"  I  tell  thee  he  shall  love  me,"  cried  Rebekah, 
growing  furious  again,  like  a  stormy  sea  that  has 
been  calm  during  a  short  lull.  "  He  shall  need 
me,  he  shall  serve  me,  and,  if  thou  wert  not  here, 
I  would  make  him  love  me.  It  is  thou,  thou,  who 
hast  beguiled  the  hearts  of  thousands  of  men  with 


LAZARUS.  379 

thy  witchcrafts ;  thou,  who  hast  united  thyself  with 
this  prince  of  darkness  that  calleth  Himself  the 
Christ  and  is  no  God  at  all,  who  triest  by  thy 
foul  treacheries  to  take  him  from  me.  I  tell  thee 
thou  shalt  die;  or,  if  thou  live  and  wed  Lazarus, 
then  Lazarus  shall  die — a  horrible  death;  and  it 
will  be  thy  pride,  thy  foul  beguilings,  that  will 
have  caused  it." 

"  I  fear  thee  not,"  replied  the  Magdalene,  "  for 
the  Lord  would  not  permit  Lazarus  yet  to  die ;  or, 
if  He  should,  He  would  surely  bring  him  to  life  an- 
other time  that  he  might  testify  of  Him.  Thou  art 
mad,  most  noble  maiden,  for  love  of  Lazarus.  Be 
calm,  be  patient,  and  forget  this  thing,  and  turn 
unto  the  Lord." 

"Ah,  thou  canst  speak  like  this,  who  hast  thy 
soul's  desire;  but  I  will  not  have  it  to  be  robbed  by 
thee  of  Lazarus.  I  tell  thee  I  will  not."  And  she 
stamped  her  feet  and  gazed  close  into  the  Magda- 
lene's face. 

"I  rob  thee  not,  maiden,  since  he  loves  thee  not," 
replied  the  Magdalene;  "  and  this  is  no  place  for 
thee  so  late.  Should  any  pass,  what  would  they  say 
to  see  the  proud  daughter  of  Caiaphas  in  the  olive 
groves  at  night  ?  " 

"  I  care  not  what  they  say,  so  Lazarus  loves  me 
not,"  Rebekah  answered  waywardly,  her  voice  end- 
ing in  a  sob.  "  I  care  not,  I  know  not;  only  I  know 
that  there  is  no  room  on  earth  for  thee  and  me  and 
him ;  and  one  must  die.  Seest  thou  this  ?  "  and  she 
raised  a  dagger  in  her  hand ;  in  the  moon's  pale 
gleam  it  looked  like  a  flaming  needle.  "  Seest 
thou  this  ?  " 


380  LAZARUS. 

The  Magdalene  bent  her  eyes  on  it,  and  a  great 
fear  crept  over  her. 

"  Well,  either  thou  or  Lazarus  shall  die  by  this. 
I  would  rather  it  were  thou ;  but,  if  thou  weddest 
Lazarus,  then  will  I  kill  him." 

Helplessly  the  Magdalene  looked  around  her;  but 
save  where,  here  and  there,  the  moon  half-heartedly 
lit  up  a  tree,  the  darkness  was  profound.  In  her 
heart  she  cried  to  Heaven  for  help,  for  her  own 
thoughts  were  so  bewildered  that  she  failed  to  real- 
ise that  a  great  purpose  was  being  accomplished. 

Who  was  she  to  wed  a  man  so  good  as  Lazarus  ? 
Why  had  she  ever  thought  such  sins  as  hers  could 
end  with  such  mad  joy  ?  And  Lazarus,  what  if  her 
love  and  presence  should  hamper  him  along  the  path 
he  had  cut  out ;  what  if  these  two  brands,  plucked 
from  the  fire  and  united  in  the  fierce  flames  of 
earthly  passion,  should  forget — forget  their  close 
companionship  with  the  Christ,  the  Immortal  Ex- 
ample, the  Stupendous  Sacrifice,  the  gigantic  trust 
He  had  left  behind,  the  forgiveness,  the  miracles, 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  their  mission  to  others  ? 
Then  a  voice  that  seemed  to  her  as  if  the  Christ  still 
spoke  on  earth,  a  voice  that,  with  its  music  as  of 
low-pitched  organs  playing  by  the  side  of  mountain 
torrents,  brought  back  the  remembrance  of  a  holy 
adoration  that  pressed  out  all  possibility  of  lesser  or 
mere  earthly  love ;  that  voice  spoke  to  her  once  more 
the  words,  "  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this, 
that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend." 

"If  it  must  be  Lazarus  or  I,"  she  murmured 
faintly — for  the  flesh  is  very  weak;  the  weaker, 
when  the  spirit  is  the  strongest,  as  if  the  devil  cried 


LAZARUS.  381 

out  for  his  own — "  If  it  must  be  Lazarus  or  I,  kill 
me,  for  Lazarus  must  testify."  And  she  bared  her 
lovely  bosom  with  proud  gesture  to  the  poignard, 
pressing  against  it  that  the  pain  might  be  the  sooner 
over,  that  the  sharp  steel  might  sever  the  cords  of 
life  with  swifter  touch ;  then  she  sank  on  to  her  knees 
and,  as  her  head  fell  back,  she  cried:  "  Forgive 
her,  Lord,  for  she  knoweth  not.  She  loveth  much ; 
forgive  her  much  as  Thou  forgavest  me.  O  Lord, 
receive  my  soul!  " 

Then  she  fell  quite  back  and  died,  and,  as  she  fell, 
Rebekah  leaned  over  her  and  smiled  with  a  hard, 
triumphant  smile,  but  with  the  light  of  madness  in 
her  eyes.  Then,  when  the  Magdalene  moved  not, 
her  eyes  opened  wide  with  horror,  and  as  the  dark 
red  current  gushed  in  a  ceaseless  torrent  to  the 
ground  from  her  white  bosom,  Rebekah  held  her 
hands  with  horrific  terror  to  her  head  and  watched. 
At  last,  once  she  shrieked ;  then  tore  madly  through 
the  grove  of  olive  trees  towards  the  home  of  Caia- 
phas.  And  the  Magdalene  lay  dead  beneath  the 
dawn-tinted  trees,  the  will  of  God  accomplished. 
At  rest  at  last. 


CHAPTER    XLV. 

ELL  all  that  thou  hast,  take  up  thy  cross,  and 
follow  Me,"  murmured  Lazarus,  while  he 
bent  over  the  dead  body  of  the  beauteous  Magda- 
lene, now  lying  on  the  very  couch  on  which  he  him- 
self had  died. 

She  had  been  found  close  to  Jerusalem,  stabbed 
in  the  heart  by  some  foul  hand.  None  would  ever 
know  the  quick,  hot  words,  the  madness-given 
strength  of  the  proud  woman  who  had  stabbed  her 
in  her  jealousy.  None  would  ever  know  how  Laza- 
rus mourned  his  bride.  He  had  sold  all  that  he  pos- 
sessed ;  had  this  too  been  a  possession  that  would 
have  kept  his  soul  back  from  the  great  work  of  testi- 
fying ?  If  so,  blessed  be  the  Lord  who  giveth  and 
taketh  away;  he,  too,  must  tread  the  winepress 
alone. 

A  ship  was  waiting  to  take  Lazarus  and  Mary 
away  to  where  he  could  preach  the  gospel  unmo- 
lested. Simon  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  let 
both  daughters  leave  him  in  his  old  age ;  so  it  had 
been  decided  that  Martha  should  remain  with  him. 
The  spirit  of  the  Eternal  One  had  shown  Lazarus 
that  he  would  not  have  been  restored  to  life  only  to 
die  again  at  once.  The  Lord  had  commanded  him 
to  testify.  This  he  must  needs  do,  and,  to  do  so, 

382 


LAZARUS.  383 

he  must  leave  Judaea;  for,  everywhere,  a  price  was 
offered  for  his  capture. 

He  had  hoped  to  carry  away  with  him  the  living 
Magdalene,  but  the  Lord  had  willed  it  otherwise. 
Perhaps  she  had  deserved  a  better  fate,  a  rest  for  all 
her  taunts  and  trials. 

In  the  beautiful  garden  of  Bethany,  where  the 
almond  tree  and  pomegranate  were  now  just  putting 
forth  their  buds,  where  the  feet  of  the  Lord  had  so 
often  stood,  they  buried  her,  and  Martha  and  Mary 
combed  with  loving  tenderness  the  tresses  that  had 
wiped  the  feet  of  Jesus.  And  on  her  bosom  Laza- 
rus placed  a  little  cross  of  cedarwood,  the  first  that 
had  been  made  in  record  of  the  Christ's  shameful 
death;  the  symbol  that  was  to  become  the  only 
staff  of  comfort  in  the  valley  of  death,  that  dark, 
terror-beset  ravine  that  must  be  traversed ;  the  dark 
shadow  thrown  across  eternal  sunshine.  And  over 
the  grave  they  planted  the  myrtle  in  token  of  love, 
and  little  cypress  trees. 

And  then  the  two  who  had  so  loved  the  Lord  left 
Bethany  and  Judaea  for  ever,  and  sailed  forth  to 
preach  to  other  nations  the  great  truth  of  salvation 
that  had  been  rejected  by  the  Jews. 

THE  END. 


DATE  DUE 


PKINTEOINU    S   A 


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